


「GLITCH」

by poisonapplecat



Series: NEWCOAST CITY --「GLITCH」 [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: (occasionally more of an--), Action, Amnesia, Anxiety, Attempt at Humor, Body Horror, Character Death, Coffee, Everyone Needs A Hug, Friendship, Gen, High School, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Bad At Tagging, LGBTQ Character, Mental Health Issues, Moral Ambiguity, Original Character(s), Science Fiction, Secret Identity, Social Anxiety, Vigilantism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 27
Words: 171,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26279839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonapplecat/pseuds/poisonapplecat
Summary: Felix J. Cooper is a teenager with a simple thought process. All he wants is to fully adjust to his new town since his family moved, survive high school with both good grades and good friends, and go out every night with a silver scarf and fight crime.Too bad things are never that easy, his social anxiety tends to almost get him killed on occasion, and he's actually gonna have to address his origin story at some point.
Series: NEWCOAST CITY --「GLITCH」 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1909444





	1. [Every Story Has to Start Somewhere]

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings for the majority of the book:
> 
> Mild Violence  
> Strong Language, especially once CH011 hits  
> References to Violence and Murder/Death  
> Mild Body Horror

Nights like these were his least favorite.

Granted, there were quite a few things he enjoyed about the present moment. After all, the temperature was lovely, the summer night not making him sweat through his black turtleneck like some had previously. The lights in the city were also stunning at night and the location he’d chosen to rest for the moment was just high up enough for him to be able to appreciate them. Hell, he even got a good nap in before he set out so he wasn’t even as tired as he normally was.

But still. He was bored and kinda lonely.

“Do you think if I, like, got some sort of searchlight, angry gang members would come running?” He asked aloud, lightly tugging on the silver scarf wrapped around his shoulders.

_“Do you always have to be so dramatic?”_ A crisp voice snapped back to him.

Okay, so he wasn’t _super_ lonely. But the mood of his company still left something to be desired.

“Don't be silly, Flex, I'm not being dramatic,” the masked brunette defended. “I'm doing the incredibly important job of creating a good establishing shot.”

_“Establishing shot to… what, exactly?”_

Slowly, he gave a cursory glance to his surroundings before turning his attention back to the conversation at hand. “Huh, good point. I just kinda felt that if we existed in a story this would be where it would start.”

His friend made a noise akin to a sigh. _“At the risk of trying to make sense of anything you say, why is this suddenly your priority? Wouldn’t something like this have been better constructed before tonight?”_

“Please, as if either of us know anything about a _before_. I expect better from you, buddy.”

_“And where has that lack of knowledge gotten us?”_

“Hey now, that's not the only reason we've gotten nowhere! I mean, it's the media, if anything.”

_“I hate that I agree with you on that. Who in their right mind came up with “Scarfboy”?”_

“Well, I am a boy.”

_“And you do have a scarf.”_

“You bet I do. A snarky one that won’t let me invest in massive searchlights, too.”

_“Say, if this_ was _a story, shouldn't you be doing some sort of opening narration?”_

“Are you saying you _want_ me to wax on for twenty minutes about the intricacies of my daily routine? ‘Cause I vividly remember you telling me that my monologues are less preferable to acid rain just a week ago. But, I mean, if you insist, I’ll do it. You’re completely right. After all, what’s proper world-building if not a lengthy monologue from a primary character that leaves the audience wanting to--”

_“Nevermind! Forget I suggested it. I stand by what I said a week ago... You know, you could stand to take things seriously every now and then, Felix.”_

The aforementioned Felix grinned, deciding to give the scarf around his neck a twirl, resulting in a series of grumbles from his mechanical friend.

Yes, that was a weird sentence. Will it be explained? In just a bit.

Before he could go on to defend his reliance on silliness, though, sounds from the alleyway beneath him reached his ears. Felix hardly even had to focus long to figure out what they were -- he’d stopped at this spot for a reason, after all. He knew the spot pretty well, actually, and it really was a prime location to get some dirty work done.

Quickly donning his trademark grin and double-checking that his mask was, in fact, on -- he’d had some close calls over the last few months -- he stood and vaulted over the ledge, grabbing hold of the nearby drainpipe to make sure he didn’t wind up with broken bones and slid down, drawing as little attention as he could while he observed the situation.

His assumptions had been right. Three scary-looking guys were surrounding one very afraid looking office worker. The poor guy was clutching his briefcase to his chest as if it would shield any blow and had backed up against the brick wall.

Felix couldn’t really see much of his face, but he could only assume it would be funny in a lighter situation. He only felt a little guilty at the thought.

Once he’d steadied himself on the ground, he cleared his throat to alert the men of his presence. “Guys! You started boxing night without me?”

The men were shocked, immediately forgetting their current target and swiveling around to face the new disturbance.

“What the--!” Baddie One started. “Who the hell are you?!”

Baddie Two leaned into Baddie One and said, “Carl, it’s that vigilante on the news.”

Baddie One -- Carl? Really? So anticlimactic... -- scowled but looked straight ahead at Felix while Baddie Three rose his hands into a fighting stance.

Just before Baddie Three rushed in, Baddie Two held him back. “Hey, don’t do it, Louis. He fights like that well. Use your gun.”

Felix whistled. _So smart but so stupid._

Baddie Three nodded and took out his gun, Baddie One following in suit. They rose their guns to aim at Felix but were distracted by a blur of silver coming at them.

And, with one hit, they were both on the ground.

_“Really?”_ Flex complained. _“Right after you twirl me, you associate me with their faces?”_

“Hey, hey. I’m sure Louis and Carl aren’t too bad of guys. They just have a shit taste in hobbies. _I_ , personally, enjoy a good dash of generic, supernatural high school dramas every once in a while.”

_“Get a life, Felix.”_

“Not until you do.”

_“That’s not fair and you know it.”_

“Yeah, well, life isn’t fair, Flex.”

Baddie Two stood staring, a look of fear plastered on his face. “You… you’re crazy!”

Felix pouted, thankful that his mask showed the furrowing of his brows through the otherwise thick material so the dramatic effect of it wasn’t ruined, and stepped forwards towards Baddie Two. “Aw, what, you know who I am and how I fight, but you don’t know what I fight with?”

“Listen, man, just leave me alone!”

“Nah, don’t feel like it. Your buddies are unconscious, you know that right? Somebody has to look out for them.”

He advanced on the man, easily tripping him up and forcing him to the ground. Resting his foot on the guys head, Felix started tying his hands together with the zip ties he kept in his pocket.

As a finishing touch, he linked the binding to a drain pipe with another zip tie. 

“Well, that’s all good. Just wait here until the cops arrive, okay? Oh, and maybe try not saying your buddies names so much. I hear it’s kinda counter-productive in the criminal world.”

Felix turned to look at the office guy, surprised to see he was still there and not looking terrified anymore. He just sorta looked… tired. Felix could relate. “Hey, call 911 for me, okay? Tell them that your local masked vigilante saved the day.”

And with that, he took off, climbing back up the drainpipe he had originally slid down and escaping back into the night, determined to check out a few more locations before he was too tired to keep going.

He heard his scarf start to talk again. 

_“Wait, so I don’t get an introduction?”_

“Flex, I don’t think you need one at this point.”

  
  


~

  
  


The morning had always been a rough time for Felix.

Originally, it was just the normal “don’t-want-to-get-out-of-bed” ordeal but it had recently turned into a “man-that-guy-hit-me-hard-last-night” type of thing.

And, truthfully, that’s just what he got for being a vigilante.

Question of the Day: How had he become a vigilante? Well, he found a talking scarf hidden away under a loose floorboard in his closet alongside a mask. The turtleneck was his own decision, though he was regretting it slightly as summer began to roll in.

That’s all he knows. He’s kinda just accepted it as who he is at this point. Not to say that he wasn’t curious to know if there’s more but he’s shuffled that train of thought to a much lower priority than he usually would.

But that’s an issue for another time. Right now, he faced a very cruel and ruthless enemy:

The alarm clock.

No matter how many times he hit snooze, _it would ring five minutes later_. He knew that’s how they function but does a vigilante really not get a break?

It was going off again and he was very determined to just let it pass and let the day slide by.

Unfortunately, his mom seemed to think otherwise as she burst into the room.

“Felix Jänsey Cooper, get out of bed! It’s the last day of school and you _will_ be going!” 

It was a bit hypocritical of her but Felix held that thought back.

“But… can’t I just sleep? It’s nicer in here...” he murmured as he snuggled back into his blankets, wanting nothing more to sink into a comfortable darkness and _not_ deal with the social stresses of a completely useless school day.

What use was a day after finals were completed anyway?

His mom sighed, sitting at the edge of his bed. 

“Listen, Felix, I know this year has been rough so far, but summer’s just seven hours away, and then you can sleep in all you want,” she rationalized, voice sounding more annoyed than comforting. “You have to do a bit of work before you hide away.”

“Is that personal experience talking?” Felix asked as he fought back a yawn.

“Yup. Which means you can’t ignore it,” she confirmed. “C’mon, get up, you little dork.”

Felix grunted as he forced himself to sit up, not being able to deny his mom once she showed her version of a soft side.

He and his parents had moved to Newcoast City a little over five months ago, smack-dab in the middle of the school year. It was weird not knowing anyone, but he had made friends -- only to keep them at the edge of a ten-foot pole when he almost immediately picked up being a vigilante.

… vigilante-ing? Vigilanting?... He kinda liked the sound of that, actually.

But those friends hadn’t talked to him much the past few weeks as he had become more involved in building his vigilante persona instead of his social life. Partly due to his concern he wasn’t really being treated seriously enough as a crime fighter -- he _really_ had to get the media past the whole “Scarfboy” thing -- but more so, he had been feeling more obligated than ever to commit to his self-assigned responsibilities.

Or maybe he just had no clue how to balance the two aspects of his life. Yeah, it was probably that one now that he thought about it.

The teen smiled at his mom before she left his room, and proceeded to shrug on the clothes he had laid out yesterday afternoon -- a system he had been using to avoid having to think too much in the morning after a particularly long night.

When he rounded the corner into the kitchen, he found that breakfast was already laid out on the table, hinting to him that he’d probably slept in a lot longer than he thought he had. His mom was eating quickly and his dad was nursing his coffee as he played on his phone. The sight was both pleasantly familiar and a little painful.

He wished he didn't have to know that his parents would be worried if they found out what he was doing in his free time. Or if they never did and he simply vanished, body left somewhere where nobody would find it or in a state that nobody could identify him from. It was a possibility he didn’t like to think about very often but, every now and then, the thought forced itself on him.

Though his mother, Juliana, often came off as cold and unpersonable, Felix knew she actually cared a lot. At least about him and his dad, if nobody else. He knew she’d probably be even worse off if something were to happen to him. He suspected his dad would be too, but… well, some days he couldn’t get a good read on Chester Cooper. He always seemed really energetic and friendly but Felix had seen the man work with minimal sleep for days straight with no human interaction. Felix wasn’t exactly sure just how the guy would react, though he at least had to assume he’d be, you know, sad.

Honestly, his parents didn’t have all that much in common besides their shared idiosyncrasies when it came to socialization and their love for science. That had been how they met, actually, at the same science-heavy college, Chester pursuing more mechanical fields while Juliana was buried deep in biology.

Felix hesitated before swooping in for a piece of toast, briefly contemplating if his dad would be able to tell how Flex even worked. As far as he knew, the scarf had some sort of interior where all its hardware was and had to be some sort of A.I. but other than that? Felix was at a loss. He had no clue why he was the only one who could hear Flex, where the scarf got its energy to run indefinitely from -- it’s not like it had a charging hole or solar panels -- or why the hell it packed such a good punch.

Instead of asking any of his questions, though, Felix decided to cheer himself up.

“Hey, Dad. Your eyes’ll fall out if you stare at your phone too long,” he commented, leaning over his father’s shoulder and checking the time at the top of the phone screen.

Chester shot him a light glare. “Says the kid I caught crying last week because his phone died.”

Felix grinned in return, wandering over to the coffee pot and pouring some into a thermos. “You walked into a wall last week...”

“That wasn’t because of the phone!”

“...while muttering the words “one more level”,” Felix finished off. “I distinctly recall you not even noticing you _ran into a wall_ for a good few seconds.”

His dad seemed to realize he’d lost and turned to Juliana with a pout. “Honey, Felix is making fun of me again!”

Juliana barely looked up. “That’s nice, dear. Felix, do you need a ride today?”

He shook his head and stood up, walking back to his room to get his things. “Nah, I’ll walk. Or run. Or hitchhike. Don’t worry.”

As he left through the front door, he heard his mom snort.

~

School wasn’t fun, to say the least.

After all, it was school. That, as a given, should already hint at it not being a great time. But even past that, he’d sorta fallen behind on maintaining his friendships recently so, even on the last day where students were mainly just goofing off, he didn’t really have anyone to talk to.

It made him a little sad to watch his old friends talk on without him but he knew there wasn’t much he could do about it -- there was too much on his mind these days. He never really had the mental energy to focus on idle, if fun, chatter. Every day, he had to decide on what patrol route he would do that night, how long he should stay out, if it even mattered how long he stayed out, and if he’d see anyone else.

Generally, he never saw any one crook twice -- he always made sure there was enough evidence to get them punished. But there was always the off chance they didn't get convicted, or maybe only got fined, or got out way too early. Or maybe they had some connections that exempted them, who knew. There had only been a rare few occasions where someone he’d previously fought had found him and they hadn’t exactly gone well enough for him to want a repeat.

Not to mention other vigilantes.

It was a strange thought, but if he was being fair, he'd say it'd be stranger if he were the only vigilante in this city. In fact, it made way more sense that after one would come another. So far, he hadn't heard any official news, but there were always rumors among criminals, and if that one time he went undercover taught him anything… it was that he wasn't the only one they'd feared, especially on the West Side.

He hadn't met any other vigilantes, obviously, and he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to. He didn't want to do any sort of teamwork but making adversaries just seemed worse.

Felix let out a long sigh, conflicted as the clock continued to tick and the teacher continued to lecture on about prepping for the next year. She didn't even realize they were about to go to lunch and that nobody was listening to her on the last day of school in the first place.

He was about to tune her out again when he heard, “Psst, Felix,” coming from his right.

Glancing up, he noticed one of his friends that he’d sort of accidentally drifted away from -- Brody -- leaning over towards him, obviously wanting to talk.

Felix smiled in greeting before going back to pretending he was paying attention.

Another “psst” made its way towards him and, when he refused to acknowledge it, a crumpled ball of paper found its way onto his desk.

Glancing back at Brody questioningly first, he unfurled the paper and read the writing that was messing scrawled across it.

**Let's talk at lunch. --Brode-meister.**

Choosing to ignore the horrible nickname for the time being, he gave in, giving Brody a nod.

Lunch came perhaps too fast, leaving Felix scared of what Brody could possibly want to talk about. He hadn’t talked to the guy in weeks and had honestly thought his friend had begun to forget about him -- he ignored the pang of sadness that tried to creep up -- and what on Earth would he even want to say? Half of the things Brody talked about were comic books and Felix had fallen behind on that too recently and what if--

Despite his inner conflict, the bell still rang. 

Felix seriously considered making a run for it so he could at least get a few more minutes of mental preparation before Brody -- who was downright frighteningly good at figuring out exactly where someone was -- would inevitably track him down. He even thought he had a chance to, as Brody had already gone over to their old friend group, but sure enough, the brunette turned and made eye-contact with Felix. There was a very clear message carried in them: “Stay right there.”

Felix sighed, accepting whatever fate had in store for him this lunch.

“I’m a vigilante and yet I can’t even best a high-schooler…” he muttered to himself, rubbing at his forehead in mild annoyance.

In barely any time, Brody was in front of him, offering him a hand to help lift him up.

“Let’s walk,” he said, though it was really more of a command. “There are some things I need to talk to you about.”

Felix accepted the hand, more out of good nature than of actually needing help -- though it was helpful on his slightly sore sides. He really needed to learn his limit when it came to fancy kicks.

As the pair made their way out of the classroom, Felix observed the taller boy who had fallen suspiciously still. Brody was typically a ball of rampant energy and seeing him so stiff was honestly a bit disconcerting. 

Which meant this was probably something serious. 

Instead of trying to speculate on his own and ramp his anxiety up any further, Felix decided to ask, “So… uh, what is it you want to talk about?”

_Please don’t hate me. Please don’t hate me,_ Felix stressed internally. _Oh, God, please be a pleasant need to talk. Please be me thinking too much._

If Brody heard him, he didn’t answer. Just kept walking, seemingly leading them out of the building and toward the courtyard. Felix, reluctantly, continued to follow.

_Great. This is just going so well. Hey, at least I have a healing factor._ Felix thought. _Geez, where’s that sarcastic scarf when you actually need his humor?_

As Brody led him outside, Felix tried to distract himself by looking at something. Anything. He settled on the trees dotting the courtyard and noted that they were much greener and fuller than when he’d arrived back in the winter. Trees were good, he decided. Trees never talked anyway so their silence wasn’t as ominous as curly-haired teenage boys could be.

And he was back to Brody. Who he was beginning to think/hope had forgotten he was there. Just as he was thinking it might be a good take to make a break for it -- maybe he could hide in the library -- his friend came to a stop and spoke up.

“I miss you, Felix,” he sighed, making Felix jolt in surprise. “We all… well, maybe not all of us do but I don’t want to hang out with those who don’t anymore. To think they cared so little…”

Felix didn't fully understand for a moment. “Sorry, what?”

Brody finally turned to look at Felix, a more familiar, goofy smile on his face. “C'mon, you didn't think I would just forget about you, right? I'm sorry that I didn't reach out earlier, I thought you were mad at us or something and would cool down and come back. But then the others didn't seem to care anymore, about whether you forgave us or not, so I knew I had to clear things up before summer started. Of course, I procrastinated until the last day but… Hey, what's so funny?”

Against his will, Felix had begun to laugh a little during Brody’s rambling. _Leave it to Brody to get so worried…_

Felix tried to calm down, knowing he had to respond. 

“Br-Brody, oh my god, I'm not mad at you guys…” he managed to wheeze out. 

Now it was Brody’s turn to be confused. “You're not? Then why have you been avoiding us like we killed your puppy or something?”

That froze Felix a little. The whole reason he'd been avoiding them was because he couldn't explain why he was avoiding them. He briefly wondered if Flex would’ve made a comment on the Catch-22, but the thought was quickly discarded.

“I-I uhm… heh,” he stuttered, floundering for a reasonable excuse. “I don’t really know, it’s not r-really something I can describe… I guess I just got really stressed with the upcoming finals and the fact that I really miss my friends back home and Mrs. Pinery is such a jerk sometimes and… it’s, you know, kinda complicated... Uh, I… really don’t know. I guess I just started pitying myself too much to realize what I was really doing?”

He winced at the poorly constructed rambling. Brody rose a suspicious eyebrow in kind.

“That your final answer?” He asked, fixing Felix with a steady look and, yeah, Brody being serious was probably one of the most unintentionally unnerving experiences of his life.

Felix bit his lip. “Can it be?”

Brody rolled his eyes, letting out a breathy laugh. “Sure, man, but you could’ve just said you didn’t wanna talk about it.”

The immediate sigh of relief Felix gave elicited a chuckle from Brody.

Felix grinned, something that has nowadays become more indicative of his vigilante alter-ego. “Thanks, Brody. I’ll be honest, I almost forgot how awesome you were.”

His friend clapped him on the shoulder. “And you’d do well to never forget again. Now c’mon. I wanna get some food and I’ll bet you’re hungry too. I swear you’ve lost weight since you’ve started distancing yourself, I’m almost scared what you’ll do to yourself over summer.”

Brody started walking off in the direction of the cafeteria, leaving Felix to follow behind. 

_Well, I guess that solves_ one _issue_ , Felix thought, quickly catching up to his friend. _Now, I guess I just need to focus on my public image._

Felix decided to ignore the long list of other concerns he had for the time being. Dealing with one at a time was more than enough, in his book.

Plus, he had all summer to figure things out before he really had to focus on balancing things out again. So long as he stayed away from spots other vigilantes were rumored to be, kept his cool, and didn’t get caught up in anything more life-threatening than per usual, he’d be fine.

Probably.

  
  



	2. [Equal Parts Mischief and Mystery]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer starts strong.

Felix’s summer started without much excitement.

The first few days were mainly spent recovering from lack of sleep, his record time asleep within the first few days being eleven hours. Of course, that took place in the middle of the day, as he had essentially turned into a vampire damn near immediately after school got out, staying up and often out doing his whole vigilante thing all night and sleeping through the day.

Five days into summer break though, Brody broke Felix’s routine.

Tired, groggy, and honestly slightly grumpy, Felix dragged himself out of the house at eleven in the morning, Brody having called several hours earlier to schedule something.

“Seriously, why was Brody even awake at seven? Isn’t he a growing teen, too? Does he not need sleep? Maybe Brody has superpowers too, but they’re just being a really good and active friend,” Felix griped as he walked down the busy city street, dodging his way through the random pedestrians on the sidewalk leading to his destination.

He didn’t care about the looks the other people going about their day gave him as he continued to talk to himself -- his precious sleep was interrupted, dammit, he’d talk to himself however much he damn well pleased.

That being said, he could practically hear Flex telling him to stop making a fool of himself from his location in Felix’s tan messenger bag.

Scratch that, he _could_ hear Flex complaining, just not about Felix’s current bad habit.

_“Felix, you’d better undo these stupid hair ties.”_

The sleep-deprived brunette hummed, swinging his bag a little. 

“You know what, Flex? I don’t think I will.”

Flex’s sharp voice resonated in his head, _“I am tied up and twisted in a very uncomfortable manner. Undo them. Now.”_

Felix just kept walking, waking up slightly from his desire to annoy Flex. 

_“If I break, it’ll be your fault.”_

Felix rolled his eyes. “Please, I swing you around and at other, worse situations daily. You won’t break from space-saving packing.”

_“I will bug you the entire day,”_ Flex threatened.

That was when Felix spotted Brody, violently shook his bag as a warning of his own, and effectively started tuning Flex out.

“Brody!” He called out, waving his hand in greeting.

Brody turned and caught sight of him, smiling. 

Felix made his way to his friend who was leaning against the large window of Felix’s destination: _Popchester’s_ , their city’s best coffee shop. Or at least, it was Felix’s favorite caffeine-related fix.

“Geez,” Brody chuckled, “you look like you haven’t slept in _weeks_.”

Felix snorted. “My sleeping hours can be as sporadic as I goddamn want them to be. It’s you who interrupted my beauty sleep.”

Brody looked Felix up and down. “Beauty sleep, huh? Can’t say you don’t need it.”

Felix fake-gasped, widening his eyes and dramatically slapping a hand over his heart. “My heavens, that was uncalled for.” 

Brody just laughed at his antics and led the way inside the shop.

Felix paid for both their drinks, sort of an apology for being so closed off the last few months, and they snagged a good table by the large window at the storefront.

Despite it being summer break, the weather was still nice enough for Felix to comfortably wear a light sweater over his dress shirt and drink hot coffee, Newcoast City being colder throughout the year than it really had any right to be. Coastal cities… What nerds, right?

On the other hand, it also meant that the black turtleneck he wore when fighting crime didn’t overheat him too much. Totally lucked out there.

Brody, sitting across from Felix, took a sip of his drink and immediately winced at the heat.  
  
“Ugh, I guess I should let it cool down a bit…” he trailed off, looking up at Felix who was sat happily sipping.

“How are you drinking that? Isn’t it hot?!” Brody probed, gazing at Felix scrutinizingly.

Felix smirked. “Who says I don’t just secretly want to burn my tongue off?” 

His friend shook his head. “Uh-uh. No way. You squirm when _french fries_ are too hot. I doubt that’s even hot. You’re tricking me right now.”

“It’s not cold, man. I like it scalding,” Felix shrugged.

Brody peered over at the cup. “I don’t believe it.”

Felix pushed the cup forward a little. “See for yourself.”

Slowly, Brody picked the cup up. “It’s warm, sure, but I bet it’s just lukewarm, isn't it?”

And oh, how Felix wished he could’ve caught the moment Brody took a sip and almost spit out the coffee on camera. 

“ _Dude_ ! That’s _scalding_! How the freaking hell were you drinking that so happily!?” Brody hissed, wiping his mouth dry from what he’d accidentally spit out in his surprise.

Felix himself was a mess of laughter.

“I-I… Oh my god, I wasn’ actually drinking it. I was jus’ baiting you the whole time... Hah… Oh my god…” he wheezed out, trying to stay quiet so as to not draw odd looks.

Brody settled him with a glare, crossing his arms. “That wasn’t funny.”

Felix grinned. 

Brody sighed.

“Okay, it was a little funny,” he conceded. 

“That’s the spirit!” Felix chirped, taking the lid off his coffee and stirring it to cool it down a little.

Brody watched on with a wistful look, clearly wishing he’d thought of doing so himself before Felix could trap him, and proceeded to do the same.

~

It was halfway through their drinks and mindless banter that Brody brought up the one topic Felix had been hoping to avoid.

“Hey, I haven’t really gotten a chance to talk to you about it, but what do you think about what’s been happening to the city lately?” The other brunette asked and took a small sip of his coffee.

Felix glanced up curiously. “What do you mean?”

Brody gave him an incredulous glance. “Dude. Vigilantes. _Superheroes._ What _else_ could I mean?”  
  


The aforementioned vigilante shrugged. “I dunno. Politics? Road construction? The school system? Lots of things to talk about.”

His friend looked even more suspicious, remarking, “Okay… weirdo.” Then Brody suddenly straightened, eyes suddenly gleaming. “I’ll start then.”

_Oh boy,_ Felix thought to himself. _That’s his new TV show look. Fanboy mode._

“Start… what, exactly?” Felix asked tentatively.

Brody rolled his eyes. “Theorizing, obviously. Honestly, it’s really like you’ve talked to nobody these past few months.”

_“He’s not wrong.”_ Flex piped up from the bag on the floor.

Felix covertly kicked the bag and turned his attention back to Brody. 

“You mean like, theories about who the vigilante is?” He asked, trying not to sound amused by the fact that Brody was actually sitting across from said vigilante and was none the wiser.

Brody nodded vehemently. “Yeah! Well, we’re both talking about Scarfboy,” -- Felix winced at the name -- “right? Well, I think he’s a teenager, like us. If you look at his physique, it’s either that or he’s a malnourished adult.”

Felix nodded, continuing, “And it wouldn’t make sense for someone who fights so much to be malnourished, right?”

His friend smiled. “Good, you get it. Lots of people don’t believe that theory, but it’s still popular to discuss on fan sites.”

That caused Felix to freeze. “Wait, fan sites. There are fan sites for m-- the vigilante?”

Brody didn’t even bat an eye at Felix’s near-miss, too excited. “Yeah, I’m an active member on a lot of them. Gotta show appreciation where it’s due. Guy’s been helping us out all year, so we’re always leaving nice messages of thanks and questions in case he ever finds the sites.”

A slow grin started to appear on Felix’s face despite himself. This was just a little too ego-boosting. He was loving it.

“So what, do you write love letters or something?” He joked.

Brody went a bit red. “Shut up, I’ve seen your notebook. You draw the vigilante all the time!”

Felix thought about it and realized that he should maybe, just maybe, stop sketching outfit designs for his alter-ego. No matter how good a few of them were...

He stiffened a little. “That’s different. I just think the guy looks cool.”

Brody gave a sarcastic smile. “ _Sure_ , Felix. Just like how I think Leia from Chemistry class is _really cool_.”

Both boys froze. Brody coughed, wove his arm and spoke up, “Um, what I mean is yeah, we both have completely platonic feelings thinking someone is just really cool, like a genuinely cool person, ‘cause she is in fact really… uh, cool, yeah… eh heh…”

Felix decided to give mercy to his friend just this once. He nodded, “Yeah, all pictures that show up of the vigilante are pretty amazing.”

Brody jumped in his seat, returning to his normal vigor. “I know right?! Even blurry pictures are so clearly him because of how shiny his scarf is!”

_“Did your friend just call me_ shiny _? Oh, I’m so gonna get him. Felix, let me out so I can choke him!”_

Felix sighed.

_I really wish I could turn him off sometimes_ , he mused.

A thought occurred to him, and he decided to throw it out:

“Hey, do these websites have any information on… the _other_ vigilantes?” He inquired, trying to sound as casual as he could about it.

Brody shrugged. “Mostly just rumors. There have only even been rumors since the media started acknowledging Scarfboy’s presence. Maybe that’s just when the others got the inspiration to do the same with their powers.”

“You think that’s what’s going on? Magical powers?” Felix asked. 

His friend once again shrugged. “I think it’s something I’d like to be the case. In my opinion, though, it’s much more likely to be some kind of mechanical enhancement. I mean, it’s superhuman abilities, but I’m not hopeful enough to believe in magic.”

Felix laughed lightly, nodding along to the sentiment. “Yeah, I feel the same.”

  
  


~

Later that night, Felix was out on patrol, sitting on the edge of a tall apartment building, contemplating the conversation from earlier.

“Hey,” he spoke out, “Flex.”

The silver scarf draped around his neck and shoulders wiggled, pointing the end that split open like a mouth and had lenses resembling googly eyes at him.

… Felix really had to wonder who designed this thing to look so harmless when it could pack a real punch… or whack, really.

_“Did you hear something?”_

That mouth-like design never moved with the words Felix heard, the red snake-like tongue that appeared to be made of a cheap fabric never pronouncing Flex’s letters.

Felix shook his head no. “Nah I just… I wanted to know if you knew anything about the other vigilantes. You’re an A.I., right? Can’t you access top secret info and stuff?”

The scarf was silent for a moment, seemingly considering the idea, before speaking up, _“I don’t seem to be programmed with the ability to access protected information on my own, or it is at least not in my protocols.”_

Felix frowned. “And you don’t know anything?”

Once again, the response was negative: _“My saved data only begins when you booted me up on January 5th at 4:18 pm. I have no recollection of anything prior to that event, and I can only gather information easily accessible and in the surrounding areas. You know this.”_

The teen vigilante pouted, a slight smirk appearing on his lips. “Doesn’t hurt to re-confirm, right?”

_“Sure, it’s not like you’ll get nothing out of it,”_ Flex snarked.

“Wow, you would suck at video games. Everybody knows once you go over the same information enough times, you’ll either figure out a discrepancy, catch the person off-guard, or go insane,” Felix explained, standing up from his perch and stretching some.

_“And why would I need to know anything about video games? Are you planning on entering me in a tournament any time soon?”_

“Aww, don’t be like that. Video game design is important and relevant to every aspect of life!”

_“Maybe in the make-believe life that exists in your head…”_ The scarf show-whispered.

Even with the faked quietness, Felix still hardly heard it, as a loud flapping of wings suddenly distracted him. He looked around for the source, thinking the sound too loud to be from any pigeon. Well, a normal pigeon, at least. There was one on Main Street he swore could eat a cat.

“Hey, Flex, did you hear that?” He whispered, suddenly on guard.

_“My audio sensors did pick up a statistical anomaly just then, yes. Probability suggests from the volume and the length between wing flaps a wingspan of nearly thirteen feet.”_

That was enough to freak Felix out. Were there even any birds on Earth that had a thirteen-foot wingspan? Last he'd heard, the albatross topped out at 12 feet but, then again, he wasn't exactly a bird expert. It was an intriguing prospect, sure, but one for another time. 

It got worse when Flex spoke up again. “ _Of course, that’s a conservative estimate assuming the noise was far away from us.”_

“...And what would the wingspan be if it was closer?” Felix asked, scared of the answer.

Someone giggled behind him, the voice very effeminate and unfamiliar when it spoke: “Please, you should know it’s twenty feet across. He’d be offended to know you forgot.”

The brunette teen whipped around but found nobody. He took a few steps forward before he heard a slight shuffling behind him and spun around again just as the mysterious girl was about to tap him on the shoulder, right hand left outstretched.

The girl pouted before collecting herself and loosely crossing her arms. “Aw, when did you get so good at spotting me, Felix?”

The vigilante, however, was too shocked at the girl’s sudden appearance to even process she’d used his name, looking her up and down to try to figure out what she wanted.

The girl before him had long blonde hair, springing out from either side of her head in two wavy pigtails. She was wearing a tight-fitting, pink unitard, white skirt ruffles starting from her utility belt covering the majority of her hips. Shocking to him were her boots, which were very obviously high heels, that covered the majority of her legs. He could only wonder as to how she snuck up on him in them, especially considering how thin and sharp the heels looked.

Most notable though was a mask on her face. It was the same pink as her unitard and looked very similar to his own in the way it was structured. Covering from above the eyes to just above the tip of the nose, it was seemingly designed to mold to her face, it even shifted in form when she raised an eyebrow at his silence, clearly showing the emotion. It even had the white lenses over the eyes, curved outwards slightly, that he assumed functioned much like his to give a slightly larger sphere of visibility. The only real difference outside of the color was how her mask had cat ears on the top corners instead of simply rounding like his own.

It was only after he thought about how similar the masks were that he remembered she’d used his real name. He jumped backward several feet into a defensive position, brandishing his scarf and shocking the girl, who tilted her head in confusion.

“Felix? What’s wrong… Do you not recognize me? I know my hair’s a bit longer but I know I don’t look that different… Felix? Come on, say something.”

If this girl looked confused, Felix was about ten times more. What she was saying made no sense to him, and she spoke so familiarly despite him never having seen her before.

“Hey, Flex…” he whispered, not taking his eyes off the blonde, “I take it she doesn’t match the descriptions of any rumored vigilantes?”

_“Not in the slightest. There are rumors of a gunman, a warlock, and something about a girl and a key, but nothing regarding pink cats,”_ Flex replied, sounding a bit frightened himself, and following up with, _“I suggest we incapacitate her and make a break for it.”_

“ _God_ , Flex, I’m not gonna knock her out until I know who she is!” Felix reprimanded.

“You… you don’t know who I am?” The masked girl asked, voice surprisingly sad.

_C’mon Felix, can’t let your persona down like this. Give her the ol’ razzle-dazzle and bounce already,_ the vigilante thought to himself.

Forcing a grin, he composed himself and started twirling Flex’s tail-end. “Nope, don’t know ya’ and I’m pretty sure you don’t know me. Good guess, but ‘Felix’ is really closer to what I call my _scarf_ than to my own name. I like the sound of it though, so whoever you think I am is a lucky guy to have such a cool name.”

God, he hoped that was convincing.

The girl frowned and Felix got the feeling she was trying to figure him out.

“No, you’re my Felix, I know it. Now stop messing around,” she ground out irritatedly. 

“If you really think I’m gonna stop messing around and making jokes, you must really not know me after all,” he deadpanned, not even lying this time.

A new voice came out of nowhere, sterner and definitely masculine: “Maybe we don’t but it’s worth a shot.”

Felix almost groaned at being snuck up on for the third time in the span of a few minutes, resigning himself to the idea that it had happened again and turned around much slower than the previous times.

“How do you people keep doing that?”

The new guy scoffed and Felix took the moment to think about how similar he was to the female. His hair was also blonde, though it was a richer and darker shade than the pale blonde of the girl’s. His suit was blue instead of pink like the girls’ and was separated in the middle, only connected by golden straps attached to belts of his similarly-gold harnesses. Felix also couldn’t really make out where the legs of his outfit ended and his shoes began as it was either all one piece of they assimilated into one another quite well.

He was also wearing a mask, more similar to Felix’s than to the girl’s, but what stood out most about him was the gigantic pair of blue-gold wings on his back. Felix was so transfixed by them that he almost missed the conversation the strange masked people were having. Almost.

“Hey, he’s saying he doesn’t know who I am!” The girl whined.

“Yeah, I heard. Are you really sure this is him?” The guy questioned.

“Yes! You feel it too, don’t you? And he sounds exactly like him!”

There was a moment of pause and the winged boy’s expression seemed to shift to a softer one. 

“Yeah, it does feel right. And that scarf is a dead giveaway,” he chuckled.

_“Do you think he’s talking specifically about me or is he just referencing a love of scarves?”_ Flex inquired, bringing the black-clothed vigilante back into focus.

“Listen, you two, I’m sorry about this, but you’re mistaken and I’ve gotta bounce. So… I’ll be seeing ya’!” Felix announced, backing off from the pair towards the edge of the building.

Turns out, backing up to a ledge leaves you no more room to back up. Great.

The guy scoffed, shaking his head and approaching Felix. “No, we’re solving this now. Stay still, Scarfboy.”

Both the boy and the scarf groaned, momentarily distracted. 

“Please don’t call me that,” the teen begged.

The girl suddenly bounced up beside him, shocking Felix and causing him to lose his balance a little. He regained his composure but blanched at the idea that he could’ve tripped off the edge of the quite tall building he was on.

“Well, then…” the girl began, “why don’t you tell us your real name?”

Felix barked out a laugh. “If you really want me to spill my identity to two complete strangers, you’re gonna have to be a lot more clever and I’m gonna have to be a lot more stupid.” 

The guy stepped closer as well and it suddenly felt as though the two were cornering him. Which, to be fair, they kinda were… Okay, definitely were.

_“Felix…”_ his scarf warned. _“It’s time to GTFO while the GTFO-ing’s good.”_

Felix agreed wholeheartedly but was floundered on a plan. It wasn’t like he could just jump off the building…

...right?

He glanced over the edge and had just begun to sort the pros and cons of going for it when his instincts screamed at him that there was danger incoming.

Swiftly, he ducked the arms that went to grab him, courtesy of Bird Boy, using the momentary chaos in what had majorly been a standstill to skirt around the two, using the ledge behind him as an escape route. 

He ran along the edge, internally grateful that he was able to avoid jumping, and headed towards the stairwell so he could maybe lose the pair in the building.

What he didn’t expect was to lose his balance as the pink-clothed girl suddenly popped out in front of him, dragging him down onto the floor, suddenly trapped above her in her arms, facing up at the guy.

He was starting to understand she was the type who would always get a jump on him.

Felix was able to momentarily break free of her grip before the male put a foot down on his chest, pushing back flat against the girl beneath him.

“You said we wanted your identity?” The guy snarled. “We don’t care who you are unless you’re someone in particular. If you end up being nobody of importance to us, we’ll leave and never bother you again. You seem pretty confident so let’s make this simple.”

The blue-clothed boy bent down and brought his hand close to Felix’s face.

_“He’s gonna unmask you!”_ Flex cried, alarmed.

“Then how about a little help?” The vigilante ground out.

The mystery boy paused, confused by the out of context words. “What?”

And that’s when, thankfully with no further prompting, Felix’s scarf swung up and hit him in the face, delivering a painful blow and knocking the guy back a few feet.

Not wasting the opportunity, Felix wrestled away from the girl and jumped…

… directly over the ledge and off the side of the roof.

As the wind rushed past him and he tried to figure out a way to save himself, he distantly heard the girl yell, “Candor, save him!”

The “On it!” that followed was more distant than the request prior.

Acting quickly, Felix brandished the silver scarf around his neck and tied the two ends together, tossing it up and catching it on one of the window sills sticking out from the building.

His descent jerked to a stop abruptly and he almost let go of Flex due to sheer light-headedness. Fortunately, Flex’s fabric wrapped around his wrist and gripped him.

_“That was the most idiotic thing you could’ve done!”_ The scarf yelled, wiggling as much as it could under the stress it was under.

Before Felix could snark back a reply, the loud flapping returned and he was suddenly wrapped up in a pair of noticeably blue wrapped arms.

“Oh,” he realized. “The wings aren’t just decoration. Well, now I feel _really_ fucking dumb.”

The winged-guy scoffed and started flying down, tugging the scarf off the window sill, chewing him out all the way. Felix was still a little dizzy, so he didn’t quite catch all of what was being said, and the searing pain beginning in his shoulder distracted him as well, but this is what he caught of it:

“What the actual… much of an idiot are… you better not be our… knock some sense into… if all your friends threw themselves… apparently, you would!”

Before he could properly process that his shoulder was dislocated, he was already being placed on the pavement in the alleyway below, probably in the same place he would’ve gone splat had he not tossed up Flex.

The boy, who Felix now remembered the girl called “Candor”, leaned above him, trapping him with all fours.

Not that it mattered much. Felix could hardly move as the pain in his shoulder became more and more unbearable.

Newly-deemed-Candor panted, seeming exhausted above him, and strained out, “The more you run away, the more suspicious you become.”

Equally strained, Felix replied, “Maybe I wanna be suspicious. The mysterious vibe is popular these days.”

_“This is not the time to joke around when I just got stretched out like taffy,”_ Flex complained.

“Oh, shut up. You’re fine and we both know it,” the vigilante sighed.

Above him, Candor pulled a confused look. “Why do you keep talking to yourself?”

“I’m not talking to myself...” Felix denied, technically not even lying.

Candor shook his head, “Never mind. I’ve got you right where I want you so I shouldn’t let a second go to waste.”

Still unable to move, Felix was too dazed to even flinch when Candor dug his fingers under the vigilante’s mask and tugged it off. There was only silence for a moment, the only sound reaching them being the cars blaring by just outside the alley as Candor held his breath.

After a few long seconds, the winged-boy flopped over onto his back, lying beside Felix, hand over his eyes as a laugh escaped his mouth.

“Ha… of course, it’s… it’s actually you…” Candor choked out. “All this searching and you… why are you trying to run, Felix?”

Felix had no answer, instead only listening as the laughter began to sound more like sobbing.

“Do you… do you really not… remember anything?” Candor asked, sniffing a little.

Felix still had no answer as he still had no clue what Candor was talking about.

“C’mon!” Candor yelled, turning on his side to look at Felix, “Answer me!”

Their eyes met for a moment as Felix rolled his head over, shocked by how much guttural emotion was able to show through a mask. It wasn’t long before he clenched his eyes shut, though, and Candor’s obvious pain was shut out.

There was shuffling beside him and the other boy spoke, now sounding much calmer and contained, “I’m going to get my sister. I doubt you’ll be moving much with how much pain you seem to be in so we’ll fix you up when I get back.”

A hand brushed over his forehead and Felix could feel his mask being placed back on his face. Briefly, the hand ran through his hair. Its departure was accompanied by a heavy sigh.

“Just hold on.”

And then with the flapping of wings, Felix was left alone.

_“What are we gonna do now?”_

Okay, so maybe not entirely alone. Flex totally counts. 

Felix grunted, his body screaming at him to leave before Candor came back.

“Flex...” he panted out. “Do you think you can pop my shoulder back in place?”

The scarf seemed to consider it before replying, _“Sure, just wrap me right.”_

The next minute was damn near impossible to go through, but Felix eventually positioned Flex like instructed, and Flex began to compress himself, fixing Felix’s issue with a disgusting _pop_.

Trying to make the best of the time he had before Candor returned, Felix forced himself up, realigning his mask properly on his face and moved as quickly as he could down the alley, eventually hiding in a building not too far away for a few hours until he felt it safe enough to make his way home.

As he climbed through his window, discarded his secret belongings in the hiding spot in his closet, and plopped down on his bed in just his jeans and socks, his mind screamed the entire time to do a simple thing about the altercation that night, and as the sun rose not even Flex could draw his thoughts away from it.

“Forget it,” his mind told him. And Felix tried to comply as he fell asleep.


	3. [The Cliche Cafe Scene]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out there are consequences for jumping off buildings.

His scarf wouldn’t stop bugging him about the meeting with those two and it was starting to get on Felix's last nerve.

It’d been about two days since the encounter and Felix was taking necessary precautions. Not only had he not gone crime-fighting in this time but he’d also not even left his house. Not even for midday coffee, which was saying something.

He felt that if he could just wait it out, the pair of siblings would eventually give up and move on, and he could forget about them as well.

Flex, however…

_ “I’m just saying I think you should hear them out. That Candor guy obviously seemed to know you, so it’d be good to find out why,”  _ Flex argued, trying to convince Felix for what must have been the hundredth time that day.

The vigilante sighed, spinning in his desk chair as he listened to the limp scarf on his bed.

“And I’m saying that I don’t want to. They’re probably crazy, it’d be good to stay away,” Felix said, idly wondering how long he should wait before he could resume his daily routine again.

_ “I can’t believe you of all people don’t want to find out the truth here, mister re-confirm everything until you go insane.” _

“I can’t believe you  _ do _ , honestly. You were the one urging me to get out of the situation as fast as possible back there,” Felix bit back.

_ “I know, but I’ve been thinking on it. They know your face now, and it was obviously relevant to them. If they were able to track your Scarfboy persona--” _

“Please stop using that name.”

_ “--then it’s only a matter of time before they track you to your actual identity. They did know your first name, after all. You really think they can’t figure out a last?” _

That sent a jolt of alarm up Felix’s spine, and he set his gaze on his scarf, saying, “Crap, you’re right about that. What should I do? Swap my middle and last names?”

_ “What you should  _ do  _ is  _ talk _ to them! Don’t be dumb about this! Be prepared to defend yourself if the situation arises that you’re in danger, get out there tonight, and figure out why they know you!”  _ Flex explained frustratedly. 

Felix scowled, turning back to his laptop. “Uh uh. No way.”

A long sigh escaped from Flex, which left Felix vaguely wondering if it was just a programmed noise or if his silver scarf could actually exhale, and once again tried to convince Felix.

_ “Until you give me a legitimate reason that I can’t debunk as an excuse, I won’t relent,”  _ the scarf stressed.

Felix searched his head for a good comeback to get Flex off his back but was suddenly struck by the thought that he  _ didn’t  _ really have any reason that Flex wouldn’t tear into.

Did… did he even know why he was so adamantly denying to seek them out?

There were obvious reasons, like how he didn’t trust them and didn’t want them to know his identity but it seemed they already knew. He knew he didn’t want to risk being attacked again. He knew he wanted to keep his normal life and vigilante life separate.

But then… why couldn’t he answer Flex?

Eventually, he found something just slipping out. 

“Because… I’m scared. I don’t really know why but my brain is yelling at me to stay away. Just the thought of them freaks me out. I want to stay away and-- Fuck! What’s really all that wrong with that, huh?”

Flex was quiet for a moment, and Felix guessed he was probably trying to figure out if he was lying or not. In fact, Felix was just beginning to think Flex would let the subject go and not reply when that thought was of course proven wrong.

_ “It’s fine that you're afraid, Felix. Fear is what keeps humans such as yourself alive. Although, your logic can become flawed when emotions such as fear are introduced, and emotions can become unintelligible when looked at through the eyes of logic. From the perspective of an onlooker of humans, I’d say you should strive for a happy medium of the two, and right now, you’re leaning towards emotion more than a balance.” _

Felix turned to stare at his scarf in shock.

“Damn, dude, when were you programmed to be all wise and shit?” He asked.

_ “I’m afraid I have no memories of such events.” _

The teenager sighed, laughing lightly. “Nah, of course, you don’t.”

Another moment of silence passed, though it was much more comfortable this time around.

When Felix finally had a reasonable answer, he spoke up again. “Okay, Flex, I give. I’ll take your advice on this one... no matter how much I don’t want to. I’m not gonna go seek them out or anything but… I’ll stop hiding like this. If they approach me non-threateningly, I’ll hear them out. Happy?”

_ “I could say yes, but then we’d have to contemplate whether I can actually even be happy,”  _ was the reply his scarf gave him.

Felix grinned his crazed-vigilante smile. “Good point, buddy. We’d have to question how advanced and intelligent you are, and maybe we wouldn’t be satisfied with the answer.”

He saw the scarf squirm on his bed, which would have convinced anyone else than Felix that they were hallucinating or on just  _ so _ many fucking drugs.

_ “Are you saying I’m not intelligent!?”  _ Flex accused, obviously offended.

Felix’s grin widened.  _ How I love to bug this scarf… _

“Nah, obviously not,” he started, picking up a pencil and twirling it for effect. “I mean, you were pretty worried for me when I fell off that building, after all.”

_ “You mean when you threw yourself off?”  _ Flex snarked.

The teen discarded Flex with a wave of his hand and said, “Details, details. The important thing is that you were worried for me.”

His silver friend was dead quiet for a second before finally trying to refute it,  _ “Worried for myself, maybe. If you were to splat on the ground, I’d likely be crushed too.” _

Felix whistled a happy tune. “ _ Sure.  _ Because you couldn’t handle something like that even though you were able to  _ stop _ my fall by hooking on a window sill and didn’t even tear a bit. I’m  _ positive  _ hitting the ground would’ve killed you.”

Flex let out a hissing noise and writhed around for a moment, so obviously struggling to come up with an excuse that it amused Felix to no end. 

It was as he was eagerly awaiting what response his mechanical friend could give him that there was a tentative knock on his bedroom door. 

He sat frozen for only a second before moving as fast as he could, throwing himself on his bed and shoving Flex under the covers. He ignored the grunt of discomfort that came from Flex, as well as the series of complaints about how he should’ve been more careful hiding his vigilante-related possessions. 

“Uh, come in?” Felix called, twisting into what he hoped was a casual sitting position that he could’ve theoretically already have been in. 

His door opened slightly and his father peeked his head through the gap, asking, “I’m not interrupting a phone call, am I? I heard you talking to someone.”

“Just hung up,” Felix lied with a weak smile.

Chester let out a relieved puff of air, entering the room as he joked, “Good, you get hardly enough socialization as it is so I wouldn’t want to take away any of it.”

“And you’re any better?” Felix asked, raising an eyebrow.

His father chuckled. “I’m old enough that any hope of remedying my social skills was already ruined  _ long _ ago. You’re a teenager, you still have hope.”

_ “I wouldn’t count on that,”  _ Flex snarked from under the covers.

Felix casually repositioned himself so his hand was pressing down on his scarf. 

“So did you just come in here to make jokes about my social life or is there something you actually want to talk about?” the teen asked, eyes tracking Chester’s movement from the doorway to sitting in Felix’s desk chair.

“Yes,” Chester replied, leaning back and spinning in the chair once before settling his sight on his son.

“Yes to what?” Felix questioned.

“Both. Making jokes about your social life is a core part of the conversation we’re about to have,” Chester clarified, a goofy smile plastered across his face.

The teen groaned loudly. “Don’t tell me you’re worried about my social life or lack thereof.” 

His dad hummed. “That’s a great deduction, good job. But, seriously, yeah. Your mom  _ would _ be here to talk to you as well, but she’s currently huddled under the covers moaning about how stupid people are so I feel she may not be in the appropriate mood for this right now.”

Felix let out a laugh. “And with you two as role models, you want to lecture  _ me _ about socialization? I hung out with Brody like, two days ago, chill. I’ve filled my quota for the week.” 

A concerned expression passed over Chester’s face and slowly said, “And what about your other friends? The ones you were so excited to make when we moved here?”

Felix stiffened, getting a sickening feeling about what Chester was getting at.

“Dad…” he started, rubbing his wrist a little. “It’s not like that. People... grow apart and stuff… Um… I just, I…”

Chester stared, unamused. “Discarding the way you’re definitely not telling me the whole truth, I just wanted to tell you that your mother and I are worried about you. You’re a teenager and yet you’ve spent the first part of your summer sleeping and hardly ever leaving the house. Except for midday coffee, which you haven’t even done these past two days. You’re usually a really excited, friendly kid, even if your sarcasm is a bit harsh sometimes. You’ve been less social ever since we’ve moved here, actually, and you seem less happy, too. We’re just… worried about you.”

Felix was caught frozen, cursing at himself inside his mind. He hadn’t meant to make his parents worry about him, but in hindsight, he really didn’t know what else he expected to happen. He was constantly tired, pushing his friends away, and had seriously hardly managed to pass his classes last year. And damn, did he suddenly feel guilty.

His throat tightened up and his eyes strained to stay dry and he honestly had no clue how to properly apologize for how his actions must have seemed.

“...Dad,” he managed to croak out, trying not to sound like how he felt. “I didn’t… I wasn’t… I’m not sad or anything like that, okay? I know how these last few months must have seemed but I swear I’m actually fine, really.”

Chester gave a concerned yet skeptical look. “I’m somehow believing you less than I did before.”

The teen gave a slight laugh, rubbing at his eyes to make sure they stayed dry. “No, really, I’m okay. I just… needed some time to adjust, that’s all. That’s really all this is. I thought I could immediately manage and I kinda slipped up because of it and now I’ll be honest, I’m a little lost on everything, and not sure who I can trust and who means well.” Felix sighed, hoping his half-truths were adequate. “But I’ll figure it out and go right on back to being an annoyingly sarcastic goofball, I promise.” 

His dad was silent for a moment, before standing up and stretching a little. “Okay, whatever you say, Felix.”

The brunette let out a sigh of relief, finally feeling in control of his emotions again now that his father seemed to understand.

“Really?” he asked.

“Not entirely,” Chester replied. 

A snicker came from under Felix’s covers as he groaned.

His father, completely oblivious to the scarf in the bed, gave a sincere smile. “I just have one condition.”

_ Dear shit, he’s gonna make me call my friends. Or do summer school. Or develop a healthy sleep schedule!  _ Felix fretted.

“Go get some coffee.”

There was a pause and even Flex seemed shocked, as he finally stopped laughing.

Felix blinked owlishly, asking a simple, “What?”

Chester laughed, reaching out and ruffling the teen’s already messy hair and kneeling down in front of him, his warm brown eyes staring into Felix’s metallic gray ones.

“You look tired and stressed, and I know you hate tea, so you’d better go get some damn coffee and calm down a little. It’s summer: go out, get some air, and relax,” Chester explained.

His dad’s tone wasn’t harsh or commanding, instead, it was light and jovial, something all too befitting of Chester Cooper. The fact that he wasn’t in any trouble, mixed with the way his father’s tone assured Felix everything was fine, finally completely calmed Felix from his previous emotional state.

...Though he was feeling a little whiplash from how fast he was both worked up and calmed down.

The teen nodded, standing up and sighing. “Yeah, fine, I’ll go get some coffee.”

Chester clapped him on the shoulder, smiling brightly and gave the boy a nudge. “Great, then go!”

“What, this instant?”

“There’s no time like the present!”

And before he knew it, the front door was closing behind him.

Felix patted his front pocket, glad to feel his phone was present and not trapped back in his room.

He did, however, regret the fact that Flex wasn’t with him, but maybe some separation was best. Felix felt like he could honestly use a little bit of alone time himself.

The brunette could only hope Chester tossing him out like this wasn’t an excuse to search his room, only for him to find a silver scarf highly resembling that of the local vigilante and find out Felix’s secret…

Felix shook himself out of his daze.  _ No, bad Felix. Stop with the negative thoughts. That’s unlikely and you know it. Now go get some coffee and maybe you’ll stop imagining the worst-case scenario. _

__ He started walking away from his house and towards the nearest bus stop to take him to 17th Street, the location of the bus stop closest to  _ Popchester’s _ , but still couldn’t ditch the slight anxiety born from not having his scarf with him. 

  
  


~

  
  


The sky was nice out today, partly cloudy enough to cool any overwhelming heat coming from the sun. There were lots of people out, going about their day, shopping around from shop to shop, and meeting up with friends.

Felix walked the path he’d been down just a few days ago, however in a marginally better mood now. The moment he entered  _ Popchester’s _ , a voice behind the counter called out to him.

“Ay, Fili! Haven’t seen ya’ in a few days, buddy!” 

The brunette smiled at the boy behind the counter, a red-headed employee who always recognized Felix as a regular. 

“Yeah, Ross. Been kinda busy,” he replied, walking up to the counter and leaning his weight on his elbows. “Slow day?”

Ross laughed. “Excruciatingly. Better since you’re here, though. We were starting to worry about you, man. Sabrina was thinking about checking the local morgue. That girl’s pretty convinced your blood is entirely comprised of coffee or something. I, meanwhile, was starting to worry you’d found someone else to satisfy you.”

“Don’t worry. Ignoring how terrifyingly co-dependent this sounds, you guys are the only ones for me. I just went into hermit mode for a few days,” Felix assured, fishing out his pocket and glancing at the menu behind Ross.

“Mocha with an add-shot?” Ross asked, smirking at how Felix pouted.

“How would you even know that’s what I wanted today? I don’t have one set usual,” Felix complained, still handing over six dollars nonetheless.

Ross tapped his temple, replying, “It’s all in the memory. You like mochas when you haven’t come by recently and you always want more espresso.” 

Felix narrowed his eyes. “Maybe I  _ should  _ stop coming here. I’m pretty sure one of the baristas is stalking me.”

The redhead tutted, wagging a finger. “Felix, you know I’d only stalk for true love. I’m only into  _ you _ to exploit your coffee addiction.”

With that, Ross turned to work on Felix’s drink and the teen moved to sit by his favorite window spot. Gazing around the cafe, he noticed there was only one other customer, sitting on the opposite end of the room. The boy was blonde, around Felix’s age, and seemingly passed out, face pressed against the table and breathing slowly. Felix couldn’t see his face but assumed it’d be one of a stressed-out honors student working on summer homework.

Turning his attention away from the other customer, Felix turned to look out the window, a frown growing on his face as the anxiety that came from being separated from Flex while people were searching for him set in. The nagging feeling that he was in danger, that he should just go home, it really freaked him out. He started tapping his foot anxiously, trying to distract himself with the passing cars. The feeling just kept growing, and Felix began to feel fidgety. It was almost as if--

“Here’s your coffee, Fili!” 

Felix jumped in his seat, whirring around to face Ross who was now standing behind him.

Ross frowned, setting down Felix’s coffee in front of him. “You okay? You look upset.”

The teen vigilante sighed, rubbing his temples to try and cool his nerves. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied. “It’s just been a really long day already.”

Ross whistled, amusedly commenting, “I can’t imagine what your morning was like to be so done when it’s only one o’clock.”

The brunette chuckled. “Fine. More like a long week.”

“Answer accepted,” the barista replied, patting Felix on the shoulder once before shooting him a wink and returning to clean some equipment behind the counter.

Felix took a tentative sip of his coffee, pleased to find that Ross had made it warm instead of scalding hot for him. He had absolutely no clue how Ross managed to control the temperature of the coffee since, frankly, it shouldn’t be possible. Maybe Ross was just a wizard. 

He wasn’t about to complain, though.

The coffee instantly relaxed his nerves, making him feel warm and like he could just sink into the uncomfortable chair beneath him. The sweet-yet not-too-sweet-ness of the flavoring, the extra espresso, the strong blend, it all combined into making him feel right at ease. The nagging feeling of danger faded, even if it didn’t completely disappear. 

He stayed like that, scrolling through social media and taking a sip every now and then, for a while. Ross would call over to him every few minutes, asking about his summer plans or making a dumb, coffee-related pun. Felix would reply with a truthful answer of his lack of plans or with a biting retort. His personal favorite of the bout was when he implied Ross was born specifically to be a barista and that he could very well just lack relevance to Felix’s life outside of the cafe. Ross huffed but played along with the joke.

It was when Felix was about halfway done with his cup that the bell above the door jingled and another customer walked in. At the sight of her, Felix froze in shock.

The girl was probably about his age, sporting two long, pale blonde pigtails from the base of her skull. Her outfit screamed “girly girl”, adorning the color pink in almost every piece of clothing, and Felix had to admit that the girl could really rock a floral mini-skirt. She didn’t even glance at him when she walked in, so he couldn’t get a good look at her face, but he had to imagine she was very pretty, or that she at least had really good makeup based on how much care was obviously put into the rest of her look. 

She moved across the room towards the sleeping boy, shook his shoulder, and said, “Hey, this is no time to be sleeping.”

And that voice… If the hair hadn’t been telltale enough, the voice was a dead giveaway. 

That was the girl. The blonde, pink-clothed, sneaky, masked girl from the other night.

Which meant the blonde she was trying to wake up, the boy he hadn’t been able to see the face of, was her brother who she’d called Candor.

He was so screwed, to say the least. 

Sure, he’d told Flex he’d hear them out should he encounter them again, but he’d expected that only to happen while he was his vigilante alter-ego(he refused to call himself Scarfboy), not while he was Felix J. Cooper.

_ Sure, I technically always am both of those on the inside, but I’m talking outside appearances here,  _ Felix corrected himself, not paying attention to the fact that he should be devising an escape plan instead of being sarcastic toward himself.

The boy groaned, lifting his head up and peering tiredly at the girl. If there was any doubt that he was Candor before this, the side view of the blonde’s face that Felix got confirmed a very similar lower face. The only real difference was that this boy’s hair was falling more into his face instead of styled backward.

Felix couldn’t quite hear what Candor muttered, though he assumed it was probably about just wanting five more minutes or something of the like based on the look on his face. 

It was about at this point that Felix realized he should probably be trying to hide or escape, so he came up with the idea of pretending to sleep -- as Candor has just been asleep, it wouldn’t be seen as too odd of an action and they’d probably just look right over him.

So Felix dropped his head into his arms to hide his face… and promptly realized his arms weren’t there to protect him since they were still preoccupied with holding his phone and resting under his chin, and that instead what met him with a warm cup of coffee and a hard table.

“Shit!” He yelled, reflexively wiping the liquid off with his sleeve, accepting the napkins that Ross had hurriedly brought over at the disturbance.

“The fuck, Felix?” Ross asked, staring down at the teen with a look of bewilderment. 

Disgruntledly, Felix sent him an apologetic look, saying, “I felt like taking a nap.”

Ross rose an eyebrow. “Well, you sure failed on that front, buddy. I’ll make you another cup as compensation cause you’re a regular, but maybe try to aim away from the hot liquid next time, kay?” 

Laughing it off to reassure Ross, Felix shot a tentative glance across the room and sure enough…

...the blondes were looking at him in pure shock. 

Felix imagined Candor was adding the current event to what was probably an ever-growing “ways-Felix-is-stupid” list. 

Once Ross went back behind the counter, Candor stood from his seat and nodded at his sister, and they both began crossing the room towards Felix.

Once they were close enough, Felix just sighed, giving into the fact that he couldn’t escape, and gestured to the chair on the opposite side of him. “Pull up another chair, sit down. You obviously wanna talk.”

The girl immediately reached for another chair, allowing Candor to sit directly across from Felix, herself sitting on the side of the table between the two. 

Candor wasted no time, immediately breaking out the questions. “Why did you run away the other night? How’d you even manage to? Why were you so dedicated to getting away that you threw yourself off a building? Are you stupid now or just intentionally playing with us by this point? Do you even know how long we’ve--”

Felix cut him off, waving his hands in a guarding motion. “Whoa, man, hold up. One at a time. And I think I have the right to know who you two are, first.”

Both their eyes widened, and they shared a look before turning back to look at him.

It was the girl who spoke up now. Her voice was far quieter than the other night, obviously cautious of the situation now as she asked, “Do you really not remember us, Felix?”

Felix shook his head and took a deep breath. “Not in the slightest. I only know that his name his Candor and that you’re his sister because of how you let it slip that last time. I’m sorry, I don’t even know your name.”

The girl looked down, wringing her hands together. “Cara. My name is Cara Evans and you should  _ know  _ that…”

Candor continued her thought, “...So why don’t you?”

Trying to act as nonchalant as possible, Felix shrugged. “Are you sure you two don’t have the wrong person? I’m sure brown hair and the name Felix isn’t too uncommon of a combination.”

The blonde boy grit his teeth, starting to look a little agitated. “Positive. It’s not just the hair and your name: your voice, other facial features, and usually buried deep sense of humor are identical.”

Cara nodded vigorously, fixing Felix with a stern stare, seemingly gaining her confidence back. “There’s no way you’re not you. The only real difference is your eye color and how open you are about your personality traits now.”

Felix once again tried to seem disinterested. “Listen, guys, I know nothing. If anything, you two should be the ones with all the answers…”

The brunette turned to look Candor in the eye. “So tell me whatever answers you may have or just let me go back to my normal life.”

The boy across from him snorted, “I’d hardly call running around the city every night like you do  _ normal _ .”

“Damn, Fili, never knew you had a party life!” Ross suddenly interrupted from behind Cara, a new cup of coffee in hand. 

As Ross set the cup down on the table in front of the teen, Felix smiled. “No, Ross, he’s obviously referring to my prostitute activities.”

The barista turned, unphased. “As long as you’re not paid in coffee, I won’t get jealous.”

“Don’t worry, babe! This cafe is the only coffee for me!” Felix called after him. 

He turned back to his table-mates, only to find expressions of shock greeting him. 

“What?” he asked, more preoccupied with testing how hot his coffee was.

He backed away after the first sip, wincing. “Bastard made it too hot on purpose.”

Cara quickly leaned over to him, invading his personal space and studying him intensely.

“The thing about not liking it too hot was textbook Felix,” she stated calmly, “but the joke about prostitution was definitely not.” 

Felix rolled his eyes. “Please, you should hear some of the things Ross says. I’m surprised he hasn’t lost his job for sexual harassment towards me...” 

He let that sit for a moment, before tacking on, “...yet.”

Candor also leaned forward with a similar expression to Cara, and Felix began to feel a little suffocated, so he protested, “Seriously, you guys need to start talking before I decide this isn’t worth my time and leave.”

Candor’s hazel eyes narrowed as he tapped his fingers against the table, humming to himself before leaning back, Cara following in suite. 

“You really don’t remember anything?” Candor prodded once again. 

“Ya’ know what?” Felix snarked. “The repetition is starting to get annoying. Cut to the chase.”

Cara cut in, giving her brother a pointed glare. “If he doesn’t know, just tell him. He’s right, this is tedious.” 

Candor gave her a small, knowing smile before turning back to Felix with a stern expression. “Fine, I’ll give you a basic history.”

The blonde took a breath before starting.

He said, “We were all friends,” to which Felix thought:  _ no shit. _

Felix waved his hand dismissively. “Gathered that much, thanks. Details, please.”

Candor grit his teeth a little, taking a breath to calm down. “ _ Fine.  _ A few states over, there’s a facility. It treats children like Cara and I, who were grievously ill when younger. It cured us, and as such we also let them improve our body’s past just healthy. That’s where you come in, you were a technician assigned to me. We became good friends because we ended up spending a lot of time with one another.”

Felix cut him off from continuing any more. “Sorry to say it, but your story already has a lot of holes. The most obvious is that I don’t remember any of that even in the slightest. The second thing is that I’m fifteen, not nearly old enough to work as a technician or whatever. Nor could I be smart and well trained enough by my age. Third, and this is the big one, your story sounds real fishy regarding you two being sick when you were younger.”

Cara shook her head. “It’s all true, though. Look, I even have pictures of the three of us together!”

She quickly pulled out her phone, hazel eyes gleaming as she pulled up an image, turning it towards Felix to see. “Look, see? That’s us.” 

Felix had to admit, it was pretty convincing. They all looked a little younger, sure, but not by much. It was a selfie, taken by Cara as she was first and foremost in the frame, arm extended forward. She was smiling goofily, just behind her two boys that could only have been Candor and himself, both smiling awkwardly like she had sprung the camera on them only moments before. There were some obvious differences, though.

“My eyes aren’t that aqua color and my glasses have never been that square. I’m cooler than that,” Felix protested, still examining the picture. “Also, what’s with that sweater vest? I’ve never worn one so… tacky.”

Cara just nodded. “I told you your eye color was different. I’m not really sure why that is, though. And, yes, you are a nerd. You’re one of the least cool people I know. Speaking of, where  _ are  _ your glasses? You can hardly see without them…”

She looked really confused just by the fact that Felix wasn’t wearing his glasses so he decided to be a bit more cooperative for this one question, answering, “I mean, I only need them for reading so they’re back at home. I normally don’t even wear them to school, only if I’m reading for a really long time.”

Candor continued frowning at him. “But you’re damn near blind.”

“I think it’s time you reassess whether I’m really the Felix you’re looking for, okay? Obviously, there are some key gaps in your memories,” Felix suggested.

“Or there are some severe gaps in yours,” Candor argued back.

Felix scoffed. “Please, you can’t seriously mean to tell me I’ve got a whole past life I’ve forgotten. I have clear memories of my childhood so I can’t be an amnesiac.”

Cara giggled, totally off-tone from the conversation. “Hah… you claim you’re cooler than to wear nerdy glasses but you still use those nerdy words…”

“Amnesiac isn’t that complex of a word. It just refers to someone with amnesia,” Felix explained, only a little embarrassed by how whiny his voice sounded cause  _ he was right, dammit. _

“But most people would just say ‘I don’t have amnesia,’” Candor chimed in.

“Definitely our Felix,” Cara decided, smiling smugly.

“Agreed,” Candor smirked.

“Somehow I feel like diction shouldn’t determine who someone is,” Felix snarked.

Candor laughed now too, anger all but vanished. “Says the guy who just said ‘diction’ instead of ‘the words someone uses.’”

Felix groaned. “Okay, fine, I walked myself into that one.”

Suddenly realizing how oddly pleasant the mood had become, Felix turned his attention back to his coffee, sighing contentedly as he found it had cooled enough to drink. 

“Back to the  _ point _ ,” Felix intervened in Candor and Cara’s giggling, “there are still obvious holes in your story. First off, what’s the name of this place I supposedly worked for and why did I work there?”

Cara rolled her eyes. “Easy. The organization is called H.E.B.S., or Human Enhancement for the Benefit of Society. Your parents work there so you were interning as well.”

Felix began to feel very anxious again. Something she had said just… intimidated him like the prospect of seeing these siblings again had.

“Well, that doesn’t sound… shady at all,” Felix joked, laughing forcibly. “But again, there’s your plot hole. My parents work at separate companies; my dad works as a technology consultant at a facility in town and my mom teaches biology and other related courses at the college. They had similar jobs before we moved here but still worked apart at two separate locations.”

Cara and Candor shared a frown. Cara scooted her seat a little closer to Felix, concernedly laying a hand on his shoulder. 

“...Felix, your parents worked at H.E.B.S. They were never really there for you, sure… but they worked there,” she explained tentatively.

Felix shook his head vehemently, denying it with every fiber of his being. “No, no, no. You’re wrong. My parents can’t be working several states away, especially for a place I’ve never heard of. I’m not even convinced this H.E.B.S. thing is  _ real _ , let alone that I should trust your words. And my parents wouldn’t lie to me like that!”

Candor leaned closer as well and Felix was suffocating again.

“Felix, tell me your parents’ names.”

“I shouldn’t have to,” Felix denied.

“I’m asking you to. Prove to me we’re talking about the same people,” the blonde insisted.

“My parents would never lie about something like that!” Felix repeated.

Candor began to get agitated again. “Felix Cooper Jänsey, just say it, dammit!”

Felix froze in his tracks.

“What did you call me?” he asked.

Both blondes again looked confused. Cara was the one who spoke this time.

“Felix Cooper Jänsey… that’s your name,” she assured softly.

Felix turned to look her in the eyes. He was correct in his earlier assumption: her eye makeup was spot-on.

“That’s backward… My name is Felix Jänsey Cooper, not Felix Cooper Jänsey. The middle and last names are switched,” he disputed.

Candor then reached for his phone, pulling it out of his pocket and unlocking it.

“After the whole incident the other night, I took precautions by the way you really seemed not to know us. So I snuck a picture of this,” he explained and slid the phone over to Felix.

The image was of a birth certificate, listing the name they’d said was his at the top. And the parents listed…

“...Who the hell are Floyd and Cheryll Jänsey?”

Cara’s frown deepened. “They’re your parents.”

“No, they’re not.”

“They are, Felix,” Candor agreed.

“They can’t be.”

“Then what are your parent’s names?” Candor tried again.

“Juliana and Chester Cooper. My mom and dad are Juliana and Chester Cooper. Not whoever these Floyd and Cheryll people are,” Felix rambled out. “I mean, how do I know this isn't photoshopped or something. You got my name wrong, maybe that was just an error.”

Candor suddenly looked quite angry and fixed a glare on Felix. “Your birthday is February 5th and you were born in 2002. You love reading all sorts of nerdy books and will always choose cold weather over warm. You have the sort of personality that just doesn’t let people leave you alone. You can get easily distracted and lead off on usually humor or technicality related tangents. You don’t eat enough. You’re the type of guy who would stab himself with a fork, raise your hand to alert an adult, and wait patiently until they addressed you minutes later.”

Felix jolted. “How did you know about that?”

The blonde girl rose an eyebrow. “You stabbed yourself with a fork again?”

“Not that-- Again? You’re saying I’ve done that more than once?” Felix asked. “No, not important. How did you know all that? Though I can’t say it was all a hundred percent accurate… I’m really not too sociable, so take that!”

Candor looked unamused. “Really? Mr. Prostitute Jokes and Befriending Your Local Barista?” 

Felix had the decency to look embarrassed. “I can’t  _ not  _ make jokes, okay? And besides that, it would be rude if I wasn’t friendly when I’m a regular here.”

Cara smiled. “Yup, that’s our--”

The brunette cut her off. “Don’t you dare say that again. I’m leaving.”

Candor shot to action and gripped his arm before Felix could even stand from his seat.

“Just hear us out,” the blonde boy pleaded.

“I already have.”

“Not fully. Listen, you only went missing after there was a large fire. You were caught in it and burned pretty badly. We… we thought you’d died. That’s what they told us… But a scarf-themed vigilante, how could it not have been you?”

“You act like I have a scarf fetish,” Felix barked.

“Just an extreme appreciation, you always said. Listen, doesn’t it make more sense? That’s why you can run around all night jumping off of buildings! They must have enhanced you in order to save you. That must be why your eyes are different and no longer need glasses all the time,” Candor explained, trying not to raise his voice too much.

Felix considered the thought for a moment but shook it away. “No, that can’t be. Juliana and Chester are my parents, you two are just dedicated stalkers with good photoshop skills, or you’ve kidnapped a clone of me, this H.E.B.S. place doesn’t sound trustworthy, and I’m leaving.

Candor tightened his grip. “No, you’re not. We’re not letting you leave after all this.”

A sniffing sound broke out between them and both boys slowly turned their attentions to Cara, who unbeknownst to them, has begun to tear up.

Candor let go of Felix, focusing entirely on his crying sister. “Cara! Hey, what’s wrong?”

She shook her head, wiping at her eyes to dry them. “Just let him leave.”

Her brother looked completely shocked. “What? After all this--”

She silenced him with only a watery glare. “He obviously doesn’t know us anymore, Candor. What could we hope to gain from this? We’re obviously bothering him. Let’s just leave him alone. I mean, we didn’t even have a plan past finding him. And if he doesn’t know us… then this whole thing was pointless.”

Candor turned to Felix, looking even angrier than before. “You heard her. Go.”

Felix didn’t waste the chance, jumping from his chair and backing away. He only stood there for a moment, taking one last look at the angry boy and his crying sister, who was now obviously even more distraught. He couldn’t help but feel guilty, and this time there was no Chester to ease him… in fact, with all this, he doubted a talk with his dad would actually  _ calm _ him for a while.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered quietly. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

Then he turned on his heel, left a tip at the counter, and left the cafe.

He’d tell Flex about the encounter when he went out that night, but for the walk home, he just wanted to appreciate the sky. It had begun to get dark while he’d been talking to the siblings, and the array of pinks and oranges across the blue sky behind was a sight to marvel at.

_ Pink and blue, huh? How obvious…  _ he thought to himself, avoiding a pedestrian passing by him.

“Should I have listened to them?” he wondered, tearing his gaze away from the sky to glance behind him.

He saw the siblings walking in the opposite direction of him and, well, that was that.


	4. [All For a Lunch Box]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Field trip time.

It’d been a few days since he’d last seen the siblings and Felix had begun to feel more at ease regarding the situation. They’d seemed to stay true to their word and he hadn’t spotted them since that day. He should’ve been more worried about the situation but their disappearance had calmed his nerves tenfold. Even Flex had stopped bugging him about it, opting instead to throw his normal sarcastic comments. 

Deep down, though, he knew he was still a mess. 

He’d been avoiding contact with his parents the past few days and it seemed to be going well enough. They hadn’t really seemed to notice his aversion to them and so long as they wouldn’t, he could ride his anxiety out. He didn’t believe they were impostors, lying to and deceiving him… but he couldn’t shake the thought, so he’d rather just stay away as much as possible until it wasn’t that prevalent in his mind anymore.

Flex was… actually helping take his mind off of things, for once. He kept the mood light and jovial, his sass light-hearted and his humor quite distracting. He and Felix must have gone off on 30 different tangents the night before, hardly even paying attention to their surroundings out in the city as they just bantered non-stop.

It didn’t keep him from stopping a drunk guy from walking into the street or intercepting a few gang members on the West Side of town but it  _ did _ ensure his grin stayed on his face the entire time.

But now, on a lazy morning where Felix was struggling to pull his head from his pillow enough to consider himself fully awake, Flex’s comments were starting to get just a little annoying.

Flex’s voice was muffled from his spot under the floorboard in the closet but it was loud enough to wake Felix up in the first place, so it was getting on his nerves.

_ “It’s almost lunchtime already and you haven’t even had coffee. If you don’t get up soon, I’ll be able to liken you to a walking zombie,” _ called Flex, who had presumably been bemoaning the fact that Felix was still asleep for a while.

Sighing, Felix finally pulled himself into a sitting position, deciding to not deal with Flex so early and instead of shuffling his way to the kitchen for a cup of coffee to cure his forming headache.

Before closing his door, he heard one last,  _ “Hey, where are you going?” _ He couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“Glad to see you so chipper! I was almost afraid you were in a coma in there,” his dad’s voice greeted from the end of the hallway.

Stiffening, Felix turned towards him, giving a small smile. “‘Mornin’, Dad.”

Chester was still in his pajamas as well, hair messy and glasses slightly askew. Honestly, it almost looked as if he’d fallen asleep with them on. He was sipping on a cup of coffee, sleepily leaning against the wall for support.

Felix rose an eyebrow after taking in the sight of him. “You were worried about  _ me _ ? You look like you woke up five minutes ago!”

His father groaned, rubbing his forehead a bit. “I did, actually. Juliana called, she forgot to take lunch to work. She asked me to get ready and bring her what she’d packed last night.”

The teen frowned. “She doesn’t have enough time to come home and grab it?”

“Not if she also wants to eat it.”

Suddenly feeling more awake, Felix straightened up. “I can take it to her. You look like you went to bed three hours ago, which I honestly wouldn’t doubt, so I’ll get dressed, stop by Popchester’s for my morning coffee, and head over to the university.”

Chester smiled wide. “Really? I’d appreciate that a lot. You’re right, I went to sleep pretty late last night. Work kept me pretty busy.”

Instead of the usual warmth that accompanied his interactions with Chester, Felix instead felt chilled while looking at the man’s bright smile.

Was this man really someone who could lie to a teenager with a smile on his face?

“...Yeah… No problem, Dad,” Felix assured half-heartedly. “I’ll uh… go get ready. Leave the lunch on the counter.”

And then he hid away in his room again, not giving Chester any time to reply.

Gathering a bag as quickly as he could and shoving his turtleneck, black jeans, mask, black tennis shoes, and Flex into it -- ignoring the grumbled complaints from the silver scarf -- he threw it on his bed and quickly changed out of his loose tee and shorts and into a slightly tighter T-Shirt and a pair of blue jeans. He’d be changing on his way over, so light clothing he wouldn’t be too sad about losing was best.

Slipping into the kitchen after his other morning rituals -- Flex having made too many comments from his place in the bag on how long he spent smoothing his bed head -- he grabbed the lunchbox left on the counter and discreetly left through the front door, walking as fast as he could to the nearest bus stop.

Buses came pretty often, especially since his location in the residential part of town was pretty close to where the urban city started up. It was quite helpful for sneaking out at night, as most crime would happen either in the city or in the west part of town. Felix majorly covered the city closer to the West Side, not often venturing near City Hall or further to the richer East Side.

The urban area, with all the industrial buildings and even skyscrapers, was smack dab in the middle of his new town, the residential area to the south and Havenden University to the north. The university was not to be confused with the Community College nestled within the city, near to the residential and high-end areas. Havenden was a big college, home only to really smart students, many of which took a year-round curriculum. Felix’s mom was thrilled to be able to work there when they moved because she was sure the students would be bright and easy to work with. She’d been at times… disappointed, but still claimed she loved her job.

Felix was slightly apprehensive about visiting the university as his alter-ego but had no intention of actually talking to his mom at the moment and he was so not going in unprepared. If he was risking the chance of meeting another vigilante, it would  _ not  _ be as his normal self. He didn’t want his actual identity to be linked to crime-fighting in any way, shape, or form.

He knew for a fact that Havenden has a pretty well-regarded school paper and that any sightings of the vigilante usually made the front page. Felix wasn’t exactly sure how many wrong-doings and crime could go down at a university, especially student-to-student, so he had to assume that the vigilante there was mostly preventing harassment and sexual assault. It was commendable but Felix was more confused as to why the vigilante was often referred to as “the warlock”. He didn’t believe any actual magic being involved -- that was just silly. Magic wasn’t real so the vigilante couldn’t have been an actual warlock. The more likely answer was that the guy was just really talented with trickery. 

Either way, whatever was going on, he didn’t want to end up in that school paper alongside the university's local vigilante. No thanks.

Listening to Flex’s chatter on the bus ride over, Felix pondered how oddly split up Newcoast City actually was, still not quite accustomed to it for whatever reason. The richer side of town has their own schools, and Felix’s own high school -- Harborside High, named after the West Side’s harbor -- was seen as one of the worst just because it hosted students from both the South Residential and the East Side. Oldfield Private Academy, on the other hand, was seen as the most prestigious high school in town and definitely had better funding. In spite of the several other high schools in town, Harborside and Oldfield tended to compete in athletics most.

The “domain”  _ Popchester’s _ rested in was actually on the border of where the urban area split into the east and west. The middle of the city, so to speak, was the place you’d be most likely to see people from both ends of town at once. Most of the baristas that worked there were pretty scattered around the city, but to be honest, if they’re working in a coffee shop it’s unlikely any of them were from the particularly rich side of town.

The bus stop closest to the cafe was about two blocks away, not a long walk for Felix but still long enough that he’d begin to take the time to notice his surroundings on his way there.

It was lunchtime now, and thus it was the peak of activity in town save for early evening hours. Felix constantly bumped shoulders with passersby as he walked, dodging a particularly unfocused one every now and then.

Entering  _ Popchester’s _ , he saw a rare scene.

The entirety of the normally serene cafe was packed, a long line reaching all the way to the door. Behind the counter at the opposite end of the room were far more baristas than per usual and Felix was surprised to not recognize a few. He was also surprised to see Ross was not there -- the guy worked so many shifts Felix was almost certain he lived there.

He recognized Maria, a girl with dark brown hair always tied up in a messy bun, Keira, who always looked like she’d rather be somewhere else, and Garnet, who always seemed to wear some red accessory to match their name and whose hair was often dyed red at the tips.

He somewhat recalled seeing a blonde here and a brunette there but was majorly swamped by faces he assumed usually worked the opposite of his usual visiting hours.

Resigning himself to the fact that the wait would be a long one and that he’d need to get going sooner than later, he turned away from the now faint calming music and light caramel interior that he loved so much and went back out the door.

Enviously eyeing a smartly dressed girl sitting outside the shop, sipping her iced coffee while reading a book for a moment, Felix sighed and moved on to one of his usual locations.

He had quite a few “locations” around the city. Mostly tighter alleyways with limited to no foot traffic. He’d typically go for a particular alley on 47th Street, specifically between an office building and an apartment complex. As it was so narrow that dumpsters were on the opposite side of the buildings, and because of the oddly shaped apartment building which gave the alleyway a sharp turn into a dead-end that prevented unwanted visibility, and because of the courtyard the apartment complex had placed above that dead-end thus covering him from the top, he’d managed to find a small, out of the way, dark, covered, and typically empty place to quickly change and head out. It was located basically in the middle of his typical range of patrol for the night though, so he’d be a bit of a distance away from the university if he changed there today.

He pondered if it would be worth the risk, and decided he would be better off with a location closer to the university. Seeing as he didn’t have one, though, he’d have to instead improvise.

As if sensing his thoughts, Flex spoke up for the first time in a while, asking,  _ “All this for avoiding your mom? Really?” _

Deciding to keep up the conversation as he made his way back to the bus stop, he brought out his phone, faking taking a call.

“Yes, really,” he replied, suddenly both proud of himself for finding a way not to look insane in public and angry at himself for never trying it before. “Plus, there are other factors regarding the location and I’m not keen on getting into any complications.” 

_ “Don’t you think you’re just more likely to get the warlock’s attention if you vigilante up?” _ Flex argued.

Felix grinned a little. “Don’t you want to be there if I do run into him? There’d always be the chance of it, and yeah, I’m making the chance higher this way, but I know you’re curious, too.”

The scarf was silent for a moment but Felix knew it was trying to find a way to disagree for the sake of disagreeing. 

_ “Aren’t you running a little late for delivering lunch?” _ Flex asked, changing the subject.

Felix dismissed it. “Nah. When she asked Chester Cooper to bring her lunch, she must’ve been expecting a while before it arrived. Dad gets distracted easily. She’ll probably be fine. If she’s in her office, I’ll leave it in her classroom and text her where I left it. Vice versa if she’s in the classroom.”

_ “And you’re not worried about being spotted by anyone? Even a glimpse of you there would make the front page of the Havenden Post.”  _

“I can handle it, don’t worry.” 

_ “Well, I actually wasn’t worried, just pointing out the obvious. Now, however… now I’m worried. You’re way too confident.” _

A bus rolled up so Felix pocketed his phone, ending their little conversation. It took about twenty minutes to get to a stop just outside the university, and when they finally got there, Felix hopped off and headed in the opposite direction.

He wasn’t really used to this side of town. It was a lot more campus-town than his usual end and he saw enough bicycles to make him consider getting one to avoid the bus schedule. More importantly, he scouted a nice location behind a vegan bakery of some sort and changed as quickly as possible, clipping his mom’s lunch box on a belt loop and leaving his civilian clothes in his backpack in the very corner of the alley behind a few stacked boxes that looked like they were meant to be thrown away years ago but were instead never moved from the alley.

Draping Flex around his shoulders and securing his mask, he quickly planned for how he’d get through campus without trouble. He’d usually be out during the middle of the night, so his black clothing wouldn’t really stand out too much, but in the middle of the day, it could prove an issue. Having been on campus before, he remembered how he’d almost gotten lost on the far side of the campus where there were lots of randomly placed buildings, almost devoid of students.

Hoping it would be the same, he quickly maneuvered to the roof of the building, hopping from one wall of the alley to another in order to gain height, and officially entered another vigilante’s territory.

~

He was fortunate that he’d found that strangely empty path again, however it wasn’t too much of an issue after all. He was running fast enough that anyone he did pass didn’t have a chance to catch a good look at him and he was once again fortunate for his slightly enhanced speed.

And that was the thing -- the things that qualified him for fighting crime were all just slightly better than average. He hadn’t had the opportunity to test his abilities out but, for how little training he’d done, he was surprisingly fast and strong. Not so much that he’d consider either of those an actual superpower of his but they were still present. He’d also noticed increased endurance and stamina in himself as he was able to run longer and take more hits. He’d been cornered only about ten times while investigating criminal activity and had never been down for more than a minute, being able to take the punches while still formulating a plan out. 

Another notable point was his healing factor. It, again, was nothing major but was definitely still there. He’d been able to keep his nightly activities a secret so well majorly because he’d hardly ever been hurt too badly and when he did encounter worse injuries, he definitely healed faster than someone normally would. The most recent example of this was back when he’d encountered the Evans siblings and fallen off the top of that hotel. He was able to deal with and recover from the pain of a dislocated shoulder far easier than he should have been able to. It was odd but there was no way in hell he was gonna complain about it.

So now, running around the university campus at a speed that would probably win a track team a race, he was quickly approaching where he’d need to split off from his little path to turn in the direction of the Science Hall.

Arriving at an optimal point, Felix took the opportunity to rush into the Math Hall from its back exit. He wasn’t sure what classes were going on, but the hall was majorly empty, and for that, he was happy. 

“Ya know, Flex? If we’re gonna make this vigilante thing work, I’m gonna have to get a lot more mobility. Do you think the news would stop calling me that wretched name if I rode a bike all the time?” He asked, sauntering down the hall, glad to have caught a break.

_ “I don’t know if that’s supposed to be a reference to something or not but I believe they would not. They’d probably just comment on how you most likely stole the bike from some young, innocent high school student,”  _ his scarf replied.

The vigilante pouted, entertaining himself more than he probably should be. “Aw, but aren’t I a young, innocent high school student?”

_ “Define innocent.” _

“Not guilty, of course.”

_ “Guilty of what? Because I’d say you’re guilty of being overdramatic.” _

Felix would have replied, but the noise of a door opening startled him into dodging into the next available classroom.

He was only glad that it was empty for the time being, and made his way over to the windows on the other side of the room. They were rather large but all had screens on the outside.

“Think I can get out through these?” He asked.

_ “If you’re willing to deface property,” _ his scarf remarked.

“I’ll put it back… Maybe. If nobody else gets around to it, I’ll fix it.” 

_ “Or you could go inspect whatever door opened and if it’s really a threat to you.” _

“Or I can climb the building and just try to jump to the Science Hall,” the vigilante suggested.

_ “I feel compelled to inform you of how impossible that should be,” _ Flex pointed out.

“Flex, can you run the calculations on whether or not  _ I’m _ possible?” Felix asked.

When his scarf didn’t reply, Felix let out a breathy laugh. “Exactly. If you can’t calculate it for real, don’t try to out-logic me here. I know I’d be making myself more visible but it’d be a clear route if I could jump from lamp post to lamp post.”

_ And since I’m slightly better at all other physical aspects… _ Felix thought,  _ why shouldn’t jumping be one of them? _

Before the scarf could even begin to refute him, Felix slid open a window and kicked out the screen behind it. He hopped out and jumped to grab the ledge above it…

… and promptly fell back down, it being out of his reach.

Sighing in exasperation, he removed Flex from the scarfs perch. 

_ “What are you doing?”  _

“Remember when I fell off that building?”

_ “You mean--” _

“I mean  _ fell _ . Anyway, I used some quick-thinking and lassoed you to a window sill. If I do that now, I can climb up. Whaddya say, be my Rapunzel?” Felix explained, already working on tying the silver scarf.

_ “I hate you.” _

“I know. Now let’s do this.”

Felix began to twirl his scarf, releasing it only at the height of his jump.

The scarf caught on the ledge just as planned, Felix dangling with his grip on the very end of it, feet dangling quite a few feet above the ground.

He quickly began to pull himself up, walking his feet along the side of the tan building as he pulled his way up.

He made it to the second ledge and decided it was a good enough height to jump across to the nearest lamp post after he’d exhausted the ledges in his path.

Felix had to make a speedy guess on which direction was correct, then proceeded to dash along the window sills until he reached the end of the building.

He whistled as he poked his head around the corner, suddenly met with the large array of passing students. He made a mental note to investigate why nobody seemed to ever walk behind the buildings to avoid traffic at another time but was currently more preoccupied with recognition of the actual science hall…

… directly across the way from his current location.

“Okay, Flex. Backroads or get to the actual destination as fast as possible?” He asked, not actually planning on taking his scarf’s advice.

_ “The correct answer is obviously the covert one but I have a feeling you asked just to ignore me.” _

“Bingo! Let’s get reckless, my silver friend!” The vigilante exclaimed.

_ “Aw, you think we’re friends… How cute!” _

Felix grinned, making sure Flex was once again secure on his neck and that the lunch box was still secure at his hip before taking a deep breath and making a running jump.

His landing was precarious at best, his poor balance almost tipping him over at first. He managed to stabilize himself, and when he surveyed the crowd below him he was surprised to see how few people were gazing up at him in awe. Most people seemed too busy to care.

“Wow, jerks,” Felix muttered to himself, prepping his next jump. 

It was easier the second time around, and he landed with a bit more ease but also drew a bit more attention as he passed over more people’s heads.

He began to hear murmurs of, “hey, is that…” and, “Isn’t that Scarf-... man?”

Felix’s grin faltered a little at the reminder of the horrible name he’d acquired but never fully left his face.

Quicker this time, he leaped to the next lamp post, and then smoother and smoother until he had mastered it and made it across the way completely.

By the time he was across, only a few students had managed to pull out their phones, and he was gone from sight soon enough as he made a final leap into an open window with a conveniently missing screen.

“Wow…” he breathed, laughing a little as he relaxed his body. “That was so lucky.”

_ “I can’t believe you actually managed that.” _

“Honestly? Same here,” the vigilante exhaled.

Recomposing himself, he was glad to find himself in yet another empty classroom. Curious as to who it belonged to, he went up to the front desk to check the nameplate. It -- disappointingly -- did not say Juliana Cooper on it, so he made his way to the door and poked his head out.

Another empty hallway. This was actually starting to get frightening.

_ “Maybe it’s empty because it’s lunchtime?” _ Flex suggested.

“That would make more sense and also re-prioritizes me from experimenting with my abilities to completing our mission. Let’s do this and be on our way out,” the vigilante decided, moving into the hallway and glancing into every room he passed by.

A few of the rooms had classes in session, but none of the professors were his mother, and none of the desks had personal belongings he recognized. He at least knew his mother kept a whole stack of biology textbooks on her desk to hide from her students at times so that was the main identifying mark he was looking for.

Finally, near the opposite end of the hall, he came across a room with that exact stack on its desk. It was blessedly empty, so he entered and made his way to the desk. Sighing contentedly, he unclipped the boxed lunch from his belt loop and set it down. The food inside should be majorly unaffected by all the jostling so he felt pretty satisfied with how his little adventure had panned out.

_ “Is that seriously all we needed to do?” _ Flex questioned and the vigilante’s satisfied smirk grew into a wide grin at the incredulous tone.

“Yup! And now we can leave taking our sweet damn time!” He announced.

As he left the classroom, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to his mom, telling her he’d left the lunch box on her desk so she was aware it was there. 

He made it to the stairwell before his otherwise bothersome-free day was interrupted.

To be real, after the whole fiasco on the lamps, he should’ve been expecting to be noticed by someone. However, in his giddy recklessness, he hadn’t cared. Now, however, he got the feeling he probably should have.

The someone who noticed him was thankfully not the resident vigilante but was instead -- unfortunately -- a girl with a camera. He probably wouldn’t have noticed her if not for her camera’s flash, at which she cursed and fumbled around with her camera’s buttons.

Felix cursed himself as well and quickly began to search for an out. Suddenly interested in the vents above him, he turned to grin brilliantly at his paparazzi.

“Thanks for the appreciation, but I gotta bounce now… climb? I could’ve made that a pun and failed to, sorry,” he stammered out with as much confidence as he could muster as he tied Flex into a ball at one end.

Before he could enact his escape plan, the girl caught his attention again, calling out, “Wait! I just want to know why you’re here.”

Now it was clear she was recording, steadily pointing her camera at him. He felt his plan crumble, as he didn’t want to be seen damaging property on camera.

When he finally registered what she’d said, he felt the need to ask for clarification. “What do you mean? Am I not allowed to tour the town?”

She giggled. “No, not that. I mean, in costume. Is something wrong on campus? I came here expecting to see the warlock, not Scarfboy.”

Felix let out an instinctual groan, recalculating how he’d make his exit.

“Please don’t call me that. Don’t worry, nobody is in danger. I just got a bit carried away,” he smiled, inching his way towards the opposite wall. “And now that I’m satisfied, I’d better be going. I just ask you don’t post this anywhere? Let’s keep the failed pun between you and me, okay?”

Surprisingly, the girl nodded, but still never set down her camera. 

Awkwardly, he laughed before rushing off in the direction of the stairs to the roof, going downstairs definitely not being an option if he’d just be at the liberty of more people with cameras. 

His plan was beginning to seem like it was a dumber and dumber idea every second. 

Too late to decide against it though, so he’d just take it into account for next time.

When he finally got to the roof of the building, he was glad to see the separate room on top, protruding from the top a telescope. It was only after he’d rushed inside, slamming the door behind him, that he finally allowed himself a breather. 

“Man… I really couldn’t think of anything better than this? Thank God there’s a mini observatory and all, but seriously?” 

_ “I agree, you’re usually better to think on your feet far better… Actually, scratch that, you’re usually fine if you’ve planned something out. The moment you can’t go with your favorite plan, you do stupid things like hiding in rooftop observatories and jumping off of buildings,” _ Flex commented.

“Oh, let that one go already. The repetition of it in such a small amount of time is starting to get old,” the teen explained.

Another voice spoke up out of the blue, soft and curious: “Wow, I’d heard rumors that you talk to yourself but I seem to be missing an entire side of a conversation over here.”

Expecting another paparazzi or a staff member, Felix was shocked when he turned to see a boy leaning against the opposite wall, dressed in black robes accented with gold. His parted hair was a light, candy pink and his golden eyes practically glowed even in the well-lit room. He was easily a few inches taller than Felix, likely almost a foot but Felix wasn't exactly tall himself, and he could tell the boy was probably older as well, but it was really hard to pinpoint anything specific about the boy’s actual appearance other than the way his pale skin was accentuated by the sheer overload of black.

Cursing his luck, but glad at least that Flex was there with him, the teen resigned himself to the fact that he’d finally met Havenden University’s resident warlock.


	5. [The Warlock With the Rosy Outlook]

Felix was just a little overwhelmed.

Okay, scratch that, he was  _ very _ overwhelmed. He was alone in a small room with another vigilante. The first other vigilante he’d encountered. And he’d been caught talking to “himself,” making what was surely a bad first impression.

In his already failure-muddled mind, he wasn’t able to fully process who he was looking at for a good moment there, and when he finally did, he wasn’t as composed as he wished he was.

“You’re the warlock!” He let tumble out. “You… I… I swear I’m not up to anything unsightly, just hiding from fans.”

His entire being felt extremely awkward and he found himself holding his breath until the other spoke again.

There was a tense moment of silence and Felix felt it possible he could choke.

Until, that is, the warlock let out a soft laugh that instantly changed the tense atmosphere to a calm one.

“I’m actually a little surprised to know you’ve heard of me!” Came the refreshingly happy tone, leaving Felix dumbfounded at how intimidating he’d been just moments before. 

In fact, now that the other vigilante was showing a clear emotion, his facial features became a lot easier to distinguish. Happiness gave emphasis to the boy’s heart-shaped face with round cheeks, and the glowing gold of his friendly eyes seemed less piercing and more inviting.

His appearance was actually a little  _ too  _ pure. Felix couldn’t help but think:  _ This guy fights other people on a regular basis? As if. _

Felix felt more confident the next time he spoke.

“Yeah… um, thanks? I guess? I’m assuming you mean to say I’m so famous you’re surprised I know who you are, which is flattering, but you're honestly not that underground. Havenden’s school paper is very thorough and very vocal. Plus, a little birdie referenced me to some vigilante fan pages and you’re the second most talked about,” Felix blabbered.

The other vigilante straightened from his spot on the other side of the room, walking closer to Felix but stopping about six feet away. Felix watched in a slight bit of awe how graceful the movement was. At a closer range, Felix was even able to pick out the shape of the earrings the vigilante was wearing and found himself smiling a little: Hanging from the stud was a little, 2D black bat with its wings spread out.

Flex seemed to share Felix’s thoughts, saying,  _ “I dare say this guy is way too cute to be considered the fighting type.”  _

The scarf-clad vigilante couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, earning himself a questioning look from the warlock.

“Now now, c’mon. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt,” Felix chided his scarf despite his own best instincts to avoid looking crazy in front of the new guy. 

The other vigilante brushed it off, though, and continued on to reply to what Felix had said earlier.

“Yeah, I’ve seen the sites, too,” the warlock admitted. “I have to say I’m a little bit of a fan of yours, actually. However, since we’re supposed to be professionals right now, I’ll hold back from fanboying.”

Felix felt a bit of an ego-boost coming on so he quickly agreed to the other’s words. 

“Probably for the best, yeah.” 

The pinkette tilted his head slightly. “I should probably properly raise the question of why you're here, though, as I don’t think you’d come all the way to my territory just to hide from your quote-on-quote fans.”

Felix let out a nervous laugh, quickly covering his anxiousness at the question with humor. “Sorry to say, honey, but I didn’t come for you. Some personal errands overlapped and I thought this would be the faster method. I guess I was kinda wrong -- which is pretty rare, by the way -- and slightly miscalculated the ease of making it through campus unseen.” He paused, thinking it over when he found he did, in fact, have something to add. “It was scarily easy to make it through, though. Lots of empty paths, classrooms, and hallways. Kinda freaked me out, if I’m being honest.”

The warlock once again smiled, shifting his weight to a more casual stance. “Ah, that’s something I noticed while watching you, as well. Lots of classes have a break at lunch, and most students migrate off-campus. That’s where I was too until I was alerted of your presence.”

That piqued Felix’s interest. “Alerted? Do you have cameras all around the school or something? Cause that sounds pretty much like a huge invasion of privacy.”

The warlock held a finger to his lips and said, “Shh. This little bat’s allowed a few secrets, no?”

“Umm… little bat?” Felix questioned the odd word choice.

“Haha, whoops. Guess that didn’t sound as cool as I thought it would. I’ll get it right next time,” the warlock replied, shyly rubbing the back of his neck as a nervous gesture.

With this emotion, Felix was able to pick out the neat shape of the guy’s eyebrows and the exact way they furrowed.

_ I’ll ask Flex about what his visual perception of the guy is later, _ Felix decided, letting the somewhat odd occurrence slide for the time being. 

Felix himself decided to get a few steps closer to the other, caution tensing his muscles.

“You know…” he drawled, “for a vigilante, you look pretty harmless. No offense meant, of course, just curiosity speaking. Hell, you almost look like a cosplayer with that hair.”

The warlock smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment, for now. More importantly, how long are you planning on staying cooped up in the observatory?”

Glancing around at the dark room, halfway impressed by the star maps hung on the walls and halfway disturbed the fact that people could return here at any minute, he decided it was probably time to scram.

“I guess I really can’t risk it here much longer, huh? Welp, guess that means I’m back to running from the fans! Which, considering you’ve admitted to being one, implies I should probably be off with haste!” Felix announced, backing towards the doorway.

The warlock simply rose an eyebrow. “You sure you know a solid way to get out?”

Felix paused, sending the man a questioning look. “What are you suggesting, little bat?”

Though he could make out the reddening of the warlock’s face for just a moment, it was quickly returned to the poker face.

“What I mean,  _ Scarfboy _ ,” the warlock paused as Felix groaned at the name, “is that you seem to not be very familiar with the school and just lucked into the safer routes today -- if you could define that stunt on the lampposts as safe, that is. If you indulge me for a bit, I’ll show you a safe place to hide and a good route to the general direction of wherever you’ll leave to.”

Flex, for the first time in a while, spoke up again. 

_ “Well, that sounds a bit too good to be true.” _

But also something Felix didn’t have the mental energy to refuse.

  
  


~

  
  


It turned out that the warlock’s idea of being indulged was simply holding a conversation with him in the bell tower that overlooked the majority of the campus. Attached to the library and spiraling upwards was a large tower, adorned with a bell at the top and -- according to the warlock -- was off-limits to most staff. The only person who’d ever go up there was the janitor in charge of maintaining the bell once a week on Sundays. As it was currently a Tuesday, the only interruption to them would be the hourly, automated chiming.

Getting up to the top was interesting, to say the least. After the warlock had safely led them to the base of the tower, Felix could only watch in awe as the guy took a running jump and sprinted up the side of it. It was only about halfway up that the guy seemed to realize the scarf-clad vigilante wasn’t following him and turned back around, leaping off and landing gracefully in a kneeling position in front of the scarfed vigilante a second later.

After a brief, confused exchange, the warlock pointed Felix to the storm drain running down the side of it from the gutters up top and turned back on his way. Felix made it up about two minutes later, grumbling all the way.

When he reached over the side of it and directed his focus to finding the other, he found the pink-haired vigilante sitting on the opposite ledge, swinging his legs over the side and humming a light tune.

When Felix sat down beside him, he suddenly understood why the guy liked this place so much.

He found himself overlooking the campus, admiring the different buildings and students passing between them. They weren’t so high that students looked like ants but it was still enough to perceive them as tiny. Felix was also amazed by how good of a vantage point this was for admiring the campus. He could suddenly spot so many spots hidden in plain sight when he was on the ground, like the small nook behind the cafeteria where he could now just barely see a couple making out, of the tight alley in between the English and History Buildings that seemed pretty easy to hide in the shadows of.

What was more impressive was also in the direction they were facing: The view of the campus ending and the city beginning, school halls and specialized buildings giving way to the college-campus side of town, and Felix could even see the bakery he’d hidden all his stuff behind. 

He couldn’t see all the way across the city, of course, but he could still see a good portion of it.

“Wow…” he breathed out. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t know this city could look so good during the day. Or that anywhere nearby had this good of a view.”

The warlock next to him smiled brightly and Felix was suddenly aware that the guy either had naturally perfect teeth or that he’d had braces in the past.

“It’s also good for observing the campus,” the warlock explained, “but as I have other methods of that, I mostly come up here for some peace.”

The other vigilante’s smile dropped then and he took up a more serious face.

“Hey,” he started, turning away from Felix’s gaze. “Wanna do a little show and tell?”

_ “Um, alarm bells much?”  _ Flex commented.

Felix refrained from replying to his scarf for the time being. He leaned closer to the other vigilante, trying to scrutinize his emotion.

“What exactly do you mean?” He asked, giving up on figuring it out for himself.

The pinkette chuckled. “Just that, basically. I’m not asking for your entire life story but I can’t say I’m not curious. Anything you tell me about yourself, I’ll tell you my corresponding fact.”

Sudden suspicion set in. Felix couldn’t help but wonder why this guy was willing to give away any personal information.

“And what guarantees either of us tells the truth, huh?” He asked, playing with the non-face-like end of Flex between his fingers to distract his nerves.

The warlock turned his gaze back to Felix and the scarf-cloaked vigilante suddenly saw deep into the boy’s golden eyes.

“Nothing guarantees it, really. Just word of mouth and faith in one another. As long as we don’t give too much information away and need to cover it up, there’s really no  _ reason _ to lie, so I’d like to think we can both tell our vague-truths,” he replied, shining with an innocent naivety Felix didn’t often see outside of young children.

“Wouldn’t that be a lie by omission, though?” Felix asked playfully.

The guy looked confused for a moment before he looked back out over the campus.

“At midday, with such a bright sky and view spread out in front of us, I feel as though, as long as we hold no malicious intent, we can excuse any lies as self-preservation and present to the other the best version of ourselves,” he reasoned, smiling lightly as if he had come to some profound enchantment with the world around him.

Maybe he had and Felix supposed he should be lucky to have been there to see it. The guy seemed to be bearing his heart on his sleeve like he was completely attuned with his own wants and thought process. 

He would’ve commended the guy for being so mentally stable, but figured it may be a bit of a weird comment considering the situation.

Felix cleared his throat to gain the vigilante’s attention again. 

“Well, uh, I guess I can’t really argue with that logic--” Felix began.

_ “You totally could,”  _ Flex interrupted.

“--and I guess there’s really no reason not to share--” the vigilante continued.

_ “I can think of at least 15,”  _ the scarf snarked.

__ “--and since I’m already here--” Felix reasoned.

_ “You could leave the way you came,”  _ the silver-annoyance suggested.

“--I might as well--” he tried one last time.

_ “You really shouldn’t-- _ ”

“Oh my  _ God _ , just shut up!” Felix snapped, regretting it as soon as he saw the other boy jump in shock.

The warlock looked so confused that Felix was suddenly able to clearly see the way his nose scrunched up.

“Um... but I wasn’t talking?” he defended, more asking for reassurance than actually refuting.

Felix sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Sorry, not you.”

At this point, the teen could even clearly see that the warlock’s eyes were asking a very simple question:  _ Then who? _

Resigning himself to giving an explanation, Felix unwrapped his scarf and held it out in front of him, halfway to present the item in question and halfway to instill the fear of death into Flex as revenge. 

“This,” he gave Flex a good shake, “is both a combat tool and a conversational partner. I swear I’m not crazy, it’s AI… at least I think it is. I’ve never really confirmed cause I don’t know how to but it seems to be completely autonomous in thought. He told me to call him Flex, though I have no clue as to why. He’s a little shit half of the time so even though he can be funny, he can be just as annoying.”

The warlock was wide-eyed and leaned in to get a better look.

“You know, I’ve seen stories on the news and in the fansites about the scarf but I never would’ve guessed it was that cool. But if this is why people claim you talk to yourself, why is it I can’t hear it?” The warlock inquired, taking a tentative poke at Flex who in turn wiggled slightly.

“I mean, yeah, there’s always the possibility that I’m insane but he’s known things I haven’t known so I know he’s actually talking. Probably. My best guess as to why you can’t hear him is that he’s somehow tied to my power set,” Felix explained.

The warlock seemed to observe Felix’s face for a moment, though Felix felt that it was mostly useless considering he was wearing a mask.

“Is that the only reason you fight with a scarf then? It can talk?” The pinkette asked.

Felix let out a huff of laughter. “ _ Obviously _ . I cause such a bad name for myself for  _ no reason whatsoever. _ ”

The warlock pouted. “You don’t have to be mean about it.”

That caused a pause in Felix. “Huh? No, I wasn’t trying to be mean. Ah, sorry, sarcasm is kinda just my first language.”

“Hmm. Well, I guess I should share as well.”

Felix felt a sudden jolt of excitement rush through him at the thought that a piece of the mystery surrounding this character would be revealed. Eagerly, he secured his scarf back on, and could almost feel a sigh of relief from the damn thing.

“Ooh, do tell. Don’t just tease me after getting me all excited,” Felix quipped.

Save for the brief expression of uncertainty, the warlock continued, “I mentioned before how I knew you were on campus? I was totally trying to be cryptic about it for the sake of being cool but the way I knew is kinda like, my version of your Flex? Not a very good conversational partner, but…”

The vigilante rose his hand in a grabbing motion and inside his grip materialized a simple, black box of cards.

At the sudden apparition of the deck, Felix jolted backward. He stared at it in shock for a moment before asking, “How’d you do that? It’s an impressive trick. Was that in your sleeve or something?”

The warlock giggled and shook his head. “No, it’s not a trick. I can summon them at will. I won’t go into the full depths of my abilities but I  _ will _ explain these. They’re a magic deck of cards basically. I can control them by both mental power and by hand gestures. They’re almost like an all-purpose tool for my keeping an eye on the campus. I can only use 52 at a time, it is a deck of cards after all, but certain ones can record and relay footage, even live, record noise, and basically alert me of any disturbances. They can show what’s being recorded by one card on another, so I can keep maybe five on me and scatter the rest around the area. There are other purposes for certain cards but I don’t find myself using them often ‘cause they’re more violent and I try to avoid that as much as possible.”

Felix was entranced as the cards started to lift out of the box and encircle the warlock, floating in the air. The cards weren’t just any common playing cards, they were elegantly drawn in a gothic fashion. Even the coloring wasn’t normal, using only the colors black and gold, inverting the color scheme of foreground to background depending on the card itself. The Three of Clubs, with a black background and gold decals, showed nothing. The Six of Diamonds, with a gold background and black decals, showed the school entrance and there were two more cards he’d brought out showing alleyways. The Diamonds tended to shift from one image to another, showcasing different places at the school every few seconds, but one remained constant in the classroom where Felix had kicked out a window screen.

“...About the windows… I was planning on--” Felix started, being interrupted by the warlock himself.

“Going back later; I heard you earlier. Again, talking to yourself, or rather, your scarf,” the warlock explained, eyes crinkling in suppressed laughter. “I’ll let your offense slide this time but don’t make such a mess if you visit again.”

Felix laughed nervously, leading into a fit of chuckles between the two. Felix wasn’t quite sure exactly what the warlock was laughing about but he assumed it was similar to the reason he was: The whole situation was just plain odd and ridiculous and Felix’s actions were laughably stupid.

“Yeah, it’s been a bit of a lapse in judgment for me today, but it’s been rather fun,” Felix admitted. 

The cards the warlock was controlling began circling him again, moving back into the box one by one in an almost show-like display. When they were all put away, Felix allowed himself to look back at the warlock himself and a question suddenly popped into his head that he couldn’t help but voice upon seeing the friendly expression.

“Why?” He asked.

The warlock gave him a blank stare and he realized he might need to elaborate a bit.

“Why do you… why are you a vigilante? If you’re a student here like so many rumors suggest, surely you have better things to do with your time?” Felix prodded, not particularly caring that the question may be too invasive.

The other boy smiled softly at him, and Felix was once again lost in how open this guy appeared to be. “Yeah, I should probably be studying right now, that’s true. And this college doesn’t even get too much action. Believe me, I know. I watch it all day. But, at the same time…”

He directed his gaze back over the campus, wasting a moment gazing at the view. When he spoke again, his tone was stronger than Felix had been expecting, determinedly sounding off the words, “When there’s even the chance something may happen, when I could do something, and when others have shown it’s possible to do something, how couldn’t I? I have seen some bad things happen on this campus and if I didn’t do something to right it, what kind of person would I be?”

The words majorly matched Felix’s impression of naivety from earlier... but they also held a sense of wisdom the teen just couldn’t quite place.

One phrase did catch him though and he asked, “Others? Like, police officers or…”

He let it drift off but the other seemed to get the point, looking a bit shyly at Felix. “Yeah, others like you. You were the first of any vigilante in this city to emerge, after all. You showed that someone else was willing so I think we all took it as, well, maybe we could do it too.”

Felix glanced away from the eye-contact. “C’mon now, don’t feed my ego too much. I didn’t mean to  _ inspire  _ anyone… I didn’t really mean to do anything.”

The warlock, obviously intrigued at the prospect of digging into “Scarfboy’s” mind a little, asked him to clarify.

“Well…” Felix started, collecting his thoughts. “I don’t really know what compelled me to go out that first night. I just had the ability to so it felt like the right thing to do. You’re kinda right, when you  _ can  _ help, for me, at least, it’s really the only option.”   
  


_ I suppose that’s even why I came here so stupidly today. Didn’t want to be seen by my parents but still can’t stop myself from helping out, _ he finished in his head. 

_ “Why do I get the feeling you just thought of something profound and kind of obvious?”  _ His scarf suddenly inquired. 

“Shut up, Flex,” the vigilante sighed.

The warlock beside him smiled. “That’s okay. In fact, that’s really good. That the city’s top hero has his heart in the right places in honestly a major relief.”

“I’m not the  _ city’s top hero _ , Mr. Warlock,” Felix denied, “and though my heart may be well aligned, I’m not sure if I could say the same for my head. Things have been confusing lately and I haven’t really known how to deal with them. Probably not a good sign.”

The pinkette shrugged. “Eh, your head seems fine to me. Plus, I get it, I went through high school too, and know that just about everything is confusing for a growing boy.”

Felix jumped in his spot. “Hey! I never said I was a high schooler!”

The warlock rose an eyebrow. “You’re trying to tell me you’re not?”

“I’m not,” Felix argued.

“Mm-hm. Sure,” the warlock said, sporting a slight smirk on his otherwise friendly face.

“I said I’m  _ not _ ,” the teen repeated as the warlock stood up and stretched.

“Well, if you ever get time off from your busy school life and from patrolling the town as you do, feel free to stop by campus again. You’re welcome anytime, and I  _ will _ know you’re here.”

The warlock stiffened and glanced down at Felix, a look of doubt resting upon his face.

“Actually…” he continued. “Promise me you’ll come again and that you won’t get hurt in the meantime? I know it’s a bit silly but--”

“I’ll come back,” Felix cut him off. “All in one piece, I promise.”

Another moment lapsed as the warlock stared down at him, and when he finally spoke, he asked, “Pinky promise?”

Felix grunted as he pulled himself up to stand face-to-face with the warlock, smiling widely as he replied.

“Man, I haven’t done a pinky promise since… well, a memory of actually doing it escapes me but the point is I haven’t done it in a long time. It is a childhood tradition, after all…”

He leaned a bit closer to the warlock, extending his pinky out. “But childhood isn’t a bad thing to remember sometimes.”

The warlock smiled, temporarily blinding Felix with how pure it was. Once again, he found himself thinking that this guy was way too innocent to be a vigilante, but he also knew that good people usually tried to spread good, so he guessed it wasn’t too unmatched after all.

The pinkette linked his pinky to Felix’s, gave it a shake, and let go. “There. Then, if you’re not all in one piece next time we meet, I’ll make sure you lose one more.”

Felix supposed the disturbing statement would damper the smile but was pleasantly surprised when the smile didn’t become even the littlest bit sinister. 

“The best way out would be to double back to the passage you entered through but don’t go through the hallways and student-heavy areas. There’s an alley behind this library, it almost directly leads to the back of the school and from there you can just go in the direction of your empty path and have a straight shot out. Good luck.”

And with that, the warlock bid him farewell, turning back towards the beautiful vista before stepping off the edge and gracefully dropping off the side of the belltower.

“Hey!” Felix shouted, concerned, but when he looked over the side of the tower, the warlock was thankfully not splattered on the ground and was already out of sight.

Sighing in relief, he reflected on the conversation for a minute.

“Interesting day, huh?” He asked the air.

Instead of the serene silence he was hoping for, Flex replied,  _ “It’s not even two.” _

Groaning in frustration, Felix made his way back to the pipe he’d climbed up and shimmied on down, exiting the university as suggested about ten minutes later. He changed back into his civilian clothes, got on a bus, stopped for  _ Popchester’s _ now that it was far less crowded, and went home. 

  
  


~

  
  


Felix’s day seemed like it could only wind down from there, and though he guessed he’d reached the climax of it, he soon found the day wasn’t quite yet over.

After two hours of reading, sipping coffee, and distracting himself by binge-watching  _ Doctor Who _ , his phone buzzed to notify him of a text message -- something which honestly almost never happened so he was surprised the volume was even on. 

Turning his attention to it, he frowned at the message now identified as from a certain overly-enthusiastic teen.

**[Brody: I’m coming over.]**

As curious as it was, he decided to wait and see what would happen. Sure enough, no more than twenty minutes later, the doorbell began to frantically ring.

The moment he opened the door, Brody came charging in, shoving his phone in Felix’s face and excitedly shouting, “Look at this! Look at this!”

Struggling to focus for a moment, he was finally able to make out a fan site he’d run across before. And on the front page…

**“SCARFBOY AND WARLOCK OF HAVENDEN UNIVERSITY SPOTTED TOGETHER:**

**Could this just be friendly merrymaking or something more interesting?** **”**

  
  


And as he saw the picture of the two sitting together at the top of the bell tower, zoomed in to point them out, it finally sunk in that, _of course_ , someone spotted them. With his luck as it is, he was honestly a little surprised the image wasn’t higher quality.

Looking around the phone to Brody to signal he was done inspecting it, he saw his friend positively grinning ear to ear. 

“You came over for this?” Felix asked, backing up and closing the front door.

Brody nodded, making his way to Felix’s room even though he’d only been there about twice before. “Duh! Two major vigilantes seen together is a big thing! What if they’re friends? What if they’re enemies? They could’ve been discussing their territories or something!”

Felix followed behind Brody, not complaining as the boy took a seat on his bed and plopping himself down in his wheeled desk chair.

Giving into how the night seemed to be headed, Felix brought up the topic himself, “So, then, let me hear your theories.”

Brody took a deep breath and started off. 

“Okay, so, what we know for sure is that Scarfboy -- stop groaning about it, Felix, it’s funny -- showed up at Havenden University today. The article goes over the few sightings of him, shows a few poorly focused images of him on some lamp posts, one witness who says they spoke to him but didn’t give over any pictures, and this main one of him and the warlock. He probably went to Havenden to talk to the warlock, ‘cause why else would he go so far out of his territory? He’s always seen in the south part of the city and into the middle, never in the more campus-town area. Since they were spotted pretty casually, and because Scarfboy was so far out of his usual way in the middle of the day, no less, it’s likely he’d planned to meet up with and talk to the warlock. Most people agree but it’s difficult to agree on  _ what  _ they were talking about,” he explained, rambling on to the point that Felix had to wait for a second after he’d finished to process it.

When he’d finally had enough time to catch up with Brody, he asked, “And you came to me to gauge my opinion?”

The excited teen nodded. “Duh! God, catch up. I have my own ideas of what they could’ve been chatting about, but you’re a lot smarter than I am, so your ideas should probably come first.”

Felix frowned, “Brody, I’m not smarter than you. We’re teenage boys, I’m pretty sure we do the same amount of dumb.”

Brody dismissed the thought. “Not the type of smart I’m talking about but that’s not important right now. Just give me your thoughts.”

Following the demand, Felix threw his mind into overdrive. Of course, he had some  _ ideas _ about the topic of conversation but sharing them could prove dangerous. If it was too close to the truth, it could jeopardize him; if it was too far off, it’d be suspicious why he was obviously lying.

_ “Need a suggestion?”  _ Flex called from inside the closet. 

Felix ignored him.

“Well…” he drew out, trying to stall, “I’d say they were probably talking about things like territories, yeah, and maybe their abilities? Scarfboy seemed oddly public, like he was improvising going into the campus, so it’s probably their first meeting.”

Brody hummed, nodding slowly. “Yeah, that’s the reasonable assumption, I guess.”

Then he groaned, obviously disappointed as he flung himself backward to lay on Felix’s bed. “Of course, that’s probably right. Damn, I was really hoping mine would make more sense than yours.”

Curious, Felix asked, “And what was your idea?”

The teen gave a groan. “You’d laugh, no doubt. I’m good keeping it to myself.”

Felix grinned. “Oh really now? C’mon, Brody-boy, you can tell me.”

Brody gave a shudder, hiding his face behind his hand. “Oh, please don’t bring out your mischievous tone. That’s never a good sign.”

Felix stood from his chair and moved slowly towards Brody. “Aw, but come on. I’m genuine here, I wanna know!”

Realizing how close Felix was, Brody shot up into a seating position and narrowed his eyes towards his friend.

“Don’t you dare try anything, coffee boy,” he warned.

Any plans for bugging Brody flew out the window with that and Felix began to laugh at the silliness of the statement.

Collapsing beside Brody, he couldn’t keep himself from the giggles.

“Coffee Boy? Would that be my superhero name?” Felix asked through his giggling. 

Having been confused by the laughter until then, Brody finally understood what Felix found so funny and started chuckling along as well.

“If you’re Coffee Boy, can I be Conspiracy Man?” Brody suggested.

Felix waved a finger. “Nuh-uh, that doesn’t explain your personality well enough. What would your powers be? Telling people enough weird theories to make them leave you alone?”

“Or…” Brody countered, “I make people go insane by filling their heads with crazy theories and they lose the will to fight.”

Felix faltered. “Wait! Why do you get to be  _ Man  _ but I’m  _ Boy _ ? Am I the sidekick?”

His friend scoffed. “Um, duh. You’re obviously the Robin to my Batman.”

The brunette shook his head exasperatedly. “Well, that’s just not fair.”

  
  


~

  
  


It was later into the night when Brody was asleep on the floor next to Felix’s bed and lightly snoring that Felix finally had the time to process the day’s events.

His mind had been whirring as soon as his head had hit his pillow, a side-effect of constantly leaving during the night to go fight crime. He’d thought of sneaking out tonight as well but had discarded the thought as soon as it became apparent that Brody wasn’t going home. Leaving his house was too risky tonight -- if Brody woke for whatever reason, he’d wonder where Felix was.

Finally annoyed enough by the moonlight drifting in through his window, one of the various aspects of his room that annoyed him tonight, he climbed out of his warm sheets and tentatively crossed the room, making sure not to disturb the slumbering Brody.

Just before he could pull the curtains closed, his attention was caught by the big city not too far in the distance and he smiled when the phantom feelings of the fresh night air and the muted sounds of cars passing dozens of feet below drifted to him from his memories. He could only assume that the city was much the same tonight but he knew anything could be happening even at that moment.

He decided to open the window itself, just for a minute, to feel that fresh air. It was disappointingly quiet out, none of the familiar yet invigorating sounds of the city. 

Right then, it finally sunk in that he’d actually met another vigilante. Another breathing, tangible vigilante that didn’t know any more about him than he knew about the other. A complete mystery and yet somehow immediately welcome to him.

And since he’d met one of the city’s rumored vigilantes, his mind began to construct scenarios of what the others were like. He couldn’t help it suddenly, and though he still wasn’t certain he  _ wanted _ to meet the others, he figured imagining was rather harmless.

He took one last deep breath of the night air before closing the window and the curtains, returning to his bed for the night.

It had barely even been a few minutes: Brody was still snoring, the room was still quiet, and there was honestly still a bit too much light for comfort, but Felix finally didn’t really care. He let his mind relax, snuggled into his blankets, and counted bats instead of sheep.


	6. [The Name’s A Bit On The Nose]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One, two...

About nine days had passed since Felix had met the first other vigilante he’d ever seen in real life. The day with the warlock was certainly interesting, and Felix couldn’t deny how much it weighed on his mind.

Not all too much had happened in that time, although managing his summer was starting to get a bit more tasking with how many daylight and nighttime hours he was spending awake now. With his avoidance of his parents, he was staying out of the house a lot, both Brody and  _ Popchester’s _ served as good getaways. His ever-so-slight coffee addiction was also  _ just  _ keeping him going throughout the days when he’d been out long the night before.

The caffeine probably wasn’t good for him, but hey, he was protecting the city! He’s pretty sure he deserves  _ some  _ vice, especially one so delicious. 

Felix had seen the warlock again, for those who are interested. It wasn’t super exciting, just a small chat over lunch. The scarf-clad vigilante had gone over to Havenden with two sandwiches and some soda about two days ago, chatted for maybe 40 minutes, and only left when his phone started to blow up with texts from Brody about how “Scarfboy” had been spotted at Havenden University and that people were searching for where the two were. It was definitely the right choice to duck out when he did.

Sure enough, though, the internet still took notice. With some further reading of the original event that helped him to understand the new theories, he even stumbled upon the name of the girl he’d met in the hallway, who’d apparently refused to give over images or video: Jade Grant.

~

The city hadn’t changed at all in nine days -- it was the same as always. Just the same traffic, just the same businessmen hurrying through the streets, just the same sorts of crime.

Honestly, Felix almost had to commend the near-constant muggings in this town. Considering the fact that bonafide vigilantes were surfacing, you’d think the idiots would cut it out, or at least take to less suspicious haunts. The vigilante’s patrol had become more specific in the last few months, as certain crimes usually took place at certain times in certain places, but he still branched out every now and then to scout more suspicious locations.

Recently, he’d been stopping by a street nearer to the East Side of the city. Not many violent acts took place here at night but it wasn’t completely free from shadiness. A few too many quick transactions had taken place right before his eyes for him to consider it completely innocent.

The street in question is called Davenport Drive, one of the richer streets where industry begins to mingle with residential. Many tall office buildings still dotted the street: a banking building at one end of the street, several smaller corporate operations planted along the sides. There were also apartment buildings, rising taller than the apartment buildings on the side of the city nearer to the West Side. A few fancy hotels were also intermixed and a small convention center for important business meetings laid smack-dab in the main action of the street.

It  _ looked _ nice and safe but Felix knew there was probably some high-class corruption going on. When he visited this street, he always took a camera with him in case he managed to capture anything important.

Tonight seemed slightly different.

From his perch on top of the Cloverbrooke Hotel, a shorter hotel when compared to the others in the vicinity, he stared down at the street curiously through his viewfinder. 

“Hey, Flex,” he started off, “think the street’s a little… empty tonight? Like, too empty. Usually, there are a fair amount of people running around but it’s just super quiet right now.” 

_ “Any chance the time is affecting the population sample?” _ Flex suggested.

The vigilante scoffed. “It’s hardly eleven. This place should be lively.”

Flex waited a moment before replying,  _ “We haven’t been here in a few days, maybe something changed in that time?” _

The thought was worrying to Felix, gnawing at him to figure out what could’ve changed in just a few days. The city shouldn’t have changed, it virtually never does.

Electing to ignore the thought for the time being, he let his mind explore other options. Maybe it was an off-night? A fluke? Maybe his watch was broken and it was actually later? But even if it was an off-night, it shouldn’t have such a cold vibe. If his watch was really broken, it’d be unmoving, not behind.

_ “Hey, this is past Main Street, right?”  _ Flex asked.

“Uh, yeah?”

_ “Aren’t there rumors of a vigilante on the East Side?” _

Felix hummed to acknowledge Flex’s words, standing up from his squatting position and stretching some.

“Well, then, maybe it’s time we leave. I haven’t heard of any of the vigilantes coming over this far, but hey, I guess it could happen,” he reasoned.

His scarf seemed shocked.  _ “Really? You’re leaving so soon? We just got here!” _

Felix twirled the end of the scarf between his fingers. “Yeah and there’s nothing to be seen here. Quiet night, other places may be in more need of help, so let’s go.”

Flex grumbled a little as Felix started scaling down the side of the building via balconies but made no further comment regarding leaving the area for the night.

That was, until, the sound of dull thuds and muffled cries caught Felix’s attention.

Flex quickly located the sound for him and he followed the instructions to a scene he’d never expected on this street. 

Six-on-one, a group of tough looking guys holding down and beating a seemingly powerless office-worker. What was more interesting than the sight of it was the things they were saying to the guy.

“This is what you deserve for being so lazy!”

“All we wanted was for you to come through with the deal!” 

“Don’t pretend you did nothing wrong, sloth!”

_ “You gonna get in there?” _ Flex asked hurriedly.

“In a moment,” Felix whispered, plastering himself to the corner of the alley. “I just need to think first. I don’t know how easily I could take on six guys so I need to be careful about this.”

_ “Don’t be a bystander, Felix. Be careful, sure, but that guy’s getting beaten bad,”  _ Flex urged.

“I  _ know _ , okay? Just give me a second to think.”

Felix could only think of one possible outcome from just charging in -- there were enough guys he’d easily be outnumbered. He couldn’t count on them attacking him one at a time either, ‘cause that usually only worked with really dumb people. 

He spotted the fire escape above the scene quickly, grinned, and disappeared from the alleyway.

Before any substantial time had passed, the group of men was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat loudly.

As the men looked up at the vigilante, sudden shock in their eyes, Felix greeted them.

“Lovely evening, isn’t it, gentlemen?”

The vigilante almost frowned when none of them responded. Nobody even made a sound, even the man who’d previously been whimpering.

_ “Hmm. Well, that’s concerning,” _ Flex commented. 

Felix shrugged it off, maintaining his grin. “Wow, we got a quiet audience tonight. How odd, they were plenty loud a moment before I arrived on stage!”

He could almost feel how exasperated his scarf was from his words.

“Now, men, the real show hasn’t even started yet, so have no fear: There will be much funnier jokes to come!”

_ “Wait, have you been telling jokes this whole time?” _ The scarf asked.

Felix took a quick sidebar. “Well, I mean, me pretending to be a comedian on a stage was kinda the whole joke. Was it not funny?”

_ “Humor is pretty subjective and I’m a generally objective device. Even so, maybe keep trying.” _

__ Felix pouted for a moment before turning back to the group of men, all still staring. 

“Now,” he said, “don’t mind my friend. Any requests from the audience?”

He gestured out towards them, signaling it was time for them to speak.

After another moment, one of them did, in fact, speak up. 

He was the buffest of the group who’d previously been doing most of the kicking to their victim. He was mostly bald and dressed similarly to the others in the group, in black and leather.

“Hey! Who the hell do you think you are? Get lost!” Baldy yelled up at the vigilante.

Felix whistled to himself, glad he’d picked out the most vocal and likely violent member. 

As swiftly as he could, he yanked Flex off of his shoulders and threw an end up above him, looping the scarf around the ladder above him, not extended to the platform he was on.

With one pull of the silver scarf, the rusted bolts of the ladder came loose and the different sections were sent downwards towards Felix, who quickly recoiled Flex and used the scarf to deflect the damage to the crowd below.

Two men were hit by pieces of the ladder, two more dodged in time, and two weren’t in the range to begin with.

One of the men who was hit went down, the other stood standing, now seeming to process the situation for the first time.

Baldy had dodged too, and now his already frightening appearance lent itself to a great scowl. “Oh, so you’re one of them.”

He turned to the rest of the men then and gestured to the vigilante above him with his thumb.

“Get him.”

Without hesitation, three of the men brought out their knives and one brought out a gun and aimed it right at Felix. 

“Wow, tough crowd,” the vigilante muttered.

Not risking waiting too long himself, Felix proceeded with Step Two of his plan. Before the men could begin trying to reach him, Felix brandished Flex and jumped down from the fire escape, briefly landing on one man’s face as he went.

The man he’d kicked bellowed some curse word and bent over slightly to cradle his nose while Felix finished his landing behind him, rotating his body and lassoing Flex around the man’s ankles as soon as he’d come to a stop. 

When he yanked, the man easily toppled.

“Well hey, would you look at that!” He exclaimed as he fully retrieved Flex. “Two down, four to go!”

Now that it was four against one, he had to actually fight close-up, but he’d come prepared for that too. Three knives and one gun usually meant he only actually had three fighting partners while one stayed at a range trying to keep him in aim.

Thankfully, his prediction was right and the men who already had knives out were the only ones that came at him.

The actual fight was a little disorienting. Felix dodged left, swung right, jumped back, ducked down to land a blow and all the while he was maintaining eyesight on the gunman, making sure he was never in direct aim. There had to be another man in between him and the gunman or else the only defense he had was the hope he wouldn’t be shot in such a rich neighborhood.

And when Baldy took a major swing at him, Felix had just dodged away from another knife and ended up with a slash on his upper arm. 

The vigilante finally caught a break when he landed a decent blow with Flex onto the far most left opponent, gaining a few seconds of his disorientation to take advantage of. 

“You guys are hard to please, ya’ know?” Felix laughed, taking the chance to dodge out of the alleyway.

Davenport Drive was still mostly empty though Felix did spot a few people walking along. He hoped they wouldn’t come over to investigate but he had to begin Step Three. 

The first man to round the corner after him was quickly blindfolded by Flex and had his head brought hard to the ground.

The second got a good kick to the gut and was noticeably knocked back, stumbling a few feet before recovering himself.

The third immediately brought a gun to Felix’s head.

_ “I’m assuming this wasn’t part of your plan?” _ Flex asked.

“Not at all,” Felix admitted.

The gunman frowned at the seemingly random phrase but shook it off.

“Listen,” his gruff voice rumbled. “You don’t have any business here and yet you’ve caused all this trouble for us.”

“Hey, don’t shoot the kid!” Yelled the man Felix had kicked, finally letting Felix process him as the leader-like character.

“Why shouldn’t I?!” The gunman yelled, cocking the gun.

“Because you’d alert your presence to the neighborhood?” The vigilante suggested.

The gunman laughed. “Nice tr--”

And he was suddenly flung across the street.

Felix stood shocked for a moment, staring at the spot the man had once been before cursing to himself as he realized the only plausible explanation.

Though he hadn’t really wanted to, he turned his head to the left to see the person who’d saved his life.

Standing before him was a woman, dressed in a silver, skin-tight, long-sleeved crop-top and pants, a bag attached to her belt, which was gold like all of her outfits other accents. Her mask was very much like his own, like the masks of Candor and Cara Evans, in its design. Her hair was a darker brown than his own, tied up into a ponytail and framing her face only on the sides by hair that fell over her hairband.

What was really shocking, though, was the gigantic, antique, silver tumbler-lock key she was brandishing as if she’d just swung it. Which, judging by the cursing gunman on the other side of the street, she must have.

“Shit! It’s her!” The leader yelled, falling on his ass and scrambling backward.

The other man who’d come out from the alleyway a little late in the moment he was still disoriented by Felix’s kick bolted down the street.

Watching the reactions of fear to this newcomer, Felix let out a groan. “C’mon! I worked hard on my entrance and got like, ten years of silence! She shows up for two seconds and everyone freaks out?”

_ “To be fair, you were trying to be funny, not scary,”  _ his scarf pointed out.

“Oh shut up, I didn’t see  _ you  _ trying to make a good entrance,” he spat at a low volume.

A few odd looks were sent his way as per usual but the action quickly picked up again.

The key-wielding vigilante spun her weapon around as she took aim at the leader, gracefully twisting her body in a dance-like manner to bring the bow down on the leader’s chest, causing him to cough violently.

The girl looked down at him, showing clear distaste. 

“The street’s clear except for you filth tonight. Don’t let it happen again,” she spoke, voice cold and damn-near emotionless.

Felix continued watching in shock as she let the guy go scrambling off, suddenly remembering the whole reason this mess has started.

“Hey,” he tapped her shoulder, wincing at the sharp look she sent him.

Felix persevered nonetheless. 

“Can you take care of the gunman for me?” he asked. “The poor guy back in the alleyway probably needs some medical attention.”

She remained motionless for a moment, observing him, before nodding and taking off towards the man who was just struggling to his feet.

“Don’t kill him?” He advised.

She didn’t answer. 

_ “Well, that’s reassuring,”  _ Flex spoke.

Felix turned back into the alley, glanced cautiously toward the man who took the ladder piece head-on, and kneeled down next to the victim.

“Hey,” he whispered, laying a hand on the shaking guy’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay. Do you need an ambulance?”

The guy didn’t respond, which wasn’t the best sign. Just turned to stare up at the vigilante.

Felix continued trying to soothe him. “Hey, it’s alright. I’m not a bad guy. Don’t care if you’ve heard of me or not but I’ve been trying to fight crime for a while now. Kinda a celebrity.”

Still, no vocal reply, although the man’s eyes shifted to his own briefcase.

Felix turned to look at it. “Is your phone in there? Do you want me to call an ambulance?”

Finally, a definite nod.

Felix opened up the briefcase and located the guy’s phone, quickly dialing for the police. When they asked what had happened, he cheekily explained that the city’s favorite vigilante had fought off some baddies and that a victim of an assault needed medical attention. He gave the address of the building to the right and hung up, knowing they’d send police along with an ambulance, knowing they’d get some wrongdoer and hoping to catch a certain scarf-clad hero as well.

When he’d just put down the phone and went to inspect the guy’s injuries quickly, the other vigilante cleared her throat, catching his attention.

“What are you doing? You just called the police, you should get going.”

Felix shook his head. “Yeah, the ambulance will get here soon but I wanna make sure he’ll be fine until then.”

She didn’t answer, coming over to kneel next to him and staring at the man.

“Okay, I’ll just ignore how creepy and honestly kinda rude you not replying is and get back to this,” the scarf-clad vigilante spoke, returning his attention to the man on the ground.

She scoffed then, causing him a little jump. “Not even a thanks, then?”

Felix realized that he hadn’t, in fact, thanked her for removing the gunman but rationalized it as being there were more important things to handle.

He rose an eyebrow and asked, “Isn’t this supposed to be a thankless job?”

The other vigilante huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Then you should know how good a thanks actually feels when it does come.”

As he checked the man’s pulse, he laughed quietly. “But maybe it’s been so long I’ve forgotten the feeling and can no longer return it.”

“Then relearn it.”

“How? Not like you’re gonna thank me.”

“...True.”

She went silent again and he took to inspecting the man’s ribs, noticing a few of them were definitely gonna need serious medical attention.

“Wish I could do something right now but the ambulance should be here soon enough,” he said, not quite directing it at either person with him.

Not even 30 seconds later, the sounds of sirens came into the distance and he bid the man goodbye, wishing him luck.

He had expected the girl to run off in the opposite direction of him and was surprised when she followed him to the end of Davenport Drive in his attempt to hide from the actual authorities.

He stopped running and regarded her curiously. “Why are you still here? Don’t you have better things to do?”

She didn’t look at him when she replied, “Don’t come to this street anymore. I’ve got it covered.”

Felix took a moment to process that.

“Hey, hey, hey, hold up,” he animatedly denied. “You can’t just claim a place that’s mine.”

She rose an eyebrow, smirking. “Oh really? As far as I know, you haven’t been here recently and yet here I’ve been, whipping the street into shape.”

As if that wasn’t shocking enough, that one person had apparently struck good manners into a street previously so dirty, he also remembered that this vigilante was a newcomer.

“Okay, listen, Miss… sorry, what’s your name again? Something about keys, surely.”

“KeyMaster, one word,” she answered stiffly.

_ “Damn, that’s like ten times cooler than Scarfboy.” _

“You can say  _ that _ again,” he agreed.

“You mean you didn’t hear me clearly? It’s only three syllables.”

“Not you,” he clarified, definitely confusing her more before continuing on. “Anyway, this has been my territory for months now. I probably started coming here before you even popped up.”

She laughed harshly. “So? You didn’t do a good job and this street was dirty. Consider it a favor. And what do you say when someone does you a favor?”

He felt a headache coming on and rubbed his temple. “Listen, Key-Club, I’m not gonna thank you for stealing my territory. On that topic, I have better stuff to do and more areas to patrol so maybe I’ll see you around if you keep intruding.”

For safety, he knocked on a tree as he passed one on the sidewalk, hoping he hadn’t jinxed himself with that last sentence, and took off again, utilizing Flex to get him up a building when the other vigilante -- probably -- couldn’t follow.

  
  


~

He’d jinxed himself.

He’d  _ definitely  _ jinxed himself. 

Out of the last five days, that vigilante had crossed paths with him four times, and it was beginning to get out of hand.

The night directly after their first meeting, he’d seen KeyMaster again. He’d tried to avoid conversation and run off, but one spare comment she seemed to have for him got him going.

“Looks like you’re doing a pretty poor job if you’re just sitting around not doing anything,” she’d said.

He’d immediately barked back with, “And  _ you’re _ doing a good job when you’re just as inactive?”

She’d hummed a little and turned up her chin. “I’ve already covered this area. I suppose you can take it over but it’s so late not much is likely to happen.”

KeyMaster had left after that but not before Flex had made a comment on her attitude that caused him to laugh gleefully and her to send back one more confused look.

The next night after that was much more involved: They had both arrived to stop a sexual assault at the same time and antagonized one another amidst dealing blows to the aggressor. 

“You’re intruding on my territory again,” Felix had prodded, kicking the man in the chest.

“It’s not your territory if I do it better,” she’d replied, moving the man out of Felix’s close-up range with a quick swipe of her massive key.

“I do just fine, don’t worry so much,” Felix had disagreed, pulling the man back to him with a lasso of Flex and dealing a good hit to the face.

She’d smirked and knocked the man to the ground. “Then why are your movements so sluggish?”

_ Because Popchester’s was crowded again today, _ Felix had wanted to whine.

Instead, he’d brought out a zip-tie and bound the man’s hands together, securing him immobile until the police arrived.

“Darling, if I sweat, it’s only because I’m too hot for you,” he’d joked as he brought out the man’s phone to dial the police.

She’d grimaced. “Are you implying you have a fever? Need a sick day, do you?”

She had left before he could get in a comeback.

There had been a day’s break after that, in which Felix’s patrol was completely unhindered by any unwanted vigilantes. It was almost lonely, truth be told, but he didn’t look a gift-horse in the mouth and decided to appreciate the silence. 

The silence and Flex’s comments, that is.

The next night, he’d been hoping for a similar solitude. He’d been too optimistic. KeyMaster had made an appearance early into the night and a second time in the early hours of the morning.

Though the first run-in that night had been rather boring, only a few quick quips shared before they both darted off, the second run-in seemed almost purposeful.

He’d been resting on a balcony over the roof of an office building, taking a quick breather before moving on and chatting to Flex about pointless stuff.

“--but do you have any database consisting of pictures of baby pigeons?”

_ “I have access to so many conspiracy theories about them that nothing but crackpot word jumbles come up for the keyword,” _ his scarf had explained. 

“So, by that logic, you can’t prove they exist even with the fault of possible photoshop.”

_ “Please stop arguing about things we both know you don’t actually believe.” _

“But to determine the validity of a theory, you have to both defend it and challenge it,” the vigilante had pointed out. 

As Flex had begun to reply, Felix could have sworn he’d heard footsteps.

_ “But it’s very, very unlikely that pigeons are created by the--” _ Flex had been interrupted by Felix shushing him, listening intently.

Without any more warning, KeyMaster had suddenly popped down to sit next to him.

He’d yelped and scattered backward a little, breathing heavily from the jumpscare.

She’d laughed lightly and handed him a can of soda.

He’d stared at it warily. “Uh… why? And how’d you know I was up here?”

She’d brought another can out of her bag and popped it open. “I’m not really a fan of soda but it’s good for a quick pick-me-up on a late night. You seemed tired.”

“You didn’t answer my questions,” he’d protested.

She’d frowned at him. “I was patrolling the area and spotted you just a bit ago. Then I closed in and heard you talking to yourself. You should probably get to a therapist about that, by the way.” 

Felix had glanced down at the drink again. “Okay… but why did you bring me a drink?”

“Are you thirsty or not?” She’d questioned impatiently.

He’d stopped making a fuss after that, electing instead to enjoy the drink.

He and KeyMaster hadn’t really talked much -- he’d felt much too awkward to do so -- but he did feel like they maybe could’ve been starting a friendship of sorts.

The next night, it became apparent it was just a momentary truce.

He wasn’t expecting to see the vigilante this far into the city -- it was past Main Street where City Hall laid on, even. Yet, there KeyMaster was, battling it out with a group of men who looked much more like residents from the West Side than her typical East Side baddies.

It was a tight alleyway, not much room for her to swing her weapon widely. She hadn’t seemed to have a plan on how to get out of the situation, nor did she seem to want to. It had honestly worried him, though he’d been certain she’d probably manage her way out of it.

Indeed, she had seemed to be doing fine, working well with whatever space she had. The only issue would’ve been having to deal with long-range, which hadn’t seemed to be an issue when Felix had arrived as a spectator.

But, again, these guys had resembled the gangs on the West Side, and that resemblance was all but confirmed when one man had given a hand signal and two men separated off from the fight.

Felix had known he’d have to step in quick, for the hand signal used was once he’d seen before. The few times he’d ventured over to the West Side and looked into the gangs, he’d come to learn some of the gestures and what they meant. This one, two fingers pointed out and away followed by the hand contracting into a fist and then the pinky jutting out, signaled which direction for the men to separate towards and which weapon to pull out.

These men had had guns and they’d been told to use them.

Felix had wasted no time, barely giving them time to take aim when he swung Flex down on their weapons, knocking their guns down.

They’d reacted quickly Felix’s arrival, not wasting a second in pulling out their knives instead of their ranged weapons. 

Felix had already been done with them by the time KeyMaster had noticed his arrival.

He’d joined the main fight to help take down the rest of the men and used the tight space to his advantage as he trapped people against the walls and propelled himself over the crowd to better fight beside KeyMaster.

Within minutes, the fight was over and oh boy, KeyMaster had been furious.

“Why did you join in?!” She’d yelled after the fact when Felix was binding together the hands of the gang members.

“Because you were about to get shot,” he’d explained.

She hadn’t seemed to hear him. “I had that handled. Just because you’re getting a little jealous doesn’t mean I can’t handle a simple fight.”

Finally angry, he’d stood up and pointed at her. “Listen, two men with guns separated and took aim at you while you were dealing with the rest! If you hadn’t been so obviously struggling in the constricted space, I would’ve left, but it was obvious you wouldn’t stop them by the time they put their fingers on the trigger!”

She had remained silent, staring almost blankly. 

“What’s more,” he’d continued, “stuff like that obviously isn’t important right now. These guys are from the Hell’s Harbor gang, that hand sign is exclusive to them. They’re on the West Side of Newcoas, a little far into the city, huh? It’s more important to figure out why they’re here.”

After a tense moment, KeyMaster had sighed.

“You’re right,” she’d admitted. “I don’t like it, but you make perfect sense. They mentioned something about me being the  _ wrong vigilante _ when I stumbled upon them. I assumed they meant you, but if they’re really from the West Side, then…”

She hadn’t needed to complete her sentence. Felix knew the rumors of the one vigilante he hadn’t met yet. 

“That guy… I haven’t seen him before, but if he’s really like the rumors I’ve heard about him say, he probably killed someone from their gang. Maybe multiple. Don’t know why he’d be looking for them all the way into the main city, though,” Felix reasoned.

KeyMaster then turned away from him, obviously about to take off. Before she ran off, though, she said, “Well, as I at least have some manners,  _ thank you _ for the save back there.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Felix had replied. “Let’s just call us even.”

She’d turned back to him a moment and offered him a slight smile before truly exiting the scene, leaving Felix alone in a narrow alley with some passed out crooks and a smile of his own.

If only his night hadn’t been so eventful, because maybe then Felix wouldn’t have slept in until noon, woken up with a major headache, and left off to  _ Popchester’s  _ without even greeting his parents, who he hadn’t even checked to see if were home.

But he did sleep in, wake up, and was now sitting at his favorite table in that charming cafe, nursing a warm espresso and rubbing circles into his temples.

“Rosssss,” he whined, the barista appearing at his table in a matter of seconds afterward.

“Rough night?” the redhead asked, setting a glass of water and some ibuprofen on the table.

Felix gratefully accepted the pain relief, gulping the pills down quickly.

“Not rough, just long. I swear that woman will be the end of me…” he muttered darkly.

Ross rose an eyebrow. “Girl issues? But Fifi, I thought we had something!”

Felix let out a long groan. “Suddenly, I miss ‘Fili’...” 

The barista chuckled. “Don’t worry, babe, the pet names will never end.”

The brunette groaned again and rested his face in his hands.

“I can’t even really complain as long as you continue to feed my addiction,” he admitted, voice muffled. 

He could  _ feel  _ the gleeful sadism in Ross’s fake-falsetto voice when the barista replied, “As long as I can make a profit off of ya’, hun, I’ll be here.”

Felix let his head hit the tabletop with an exhausted sigh.


	7. [Fireworks and Firepower]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three!

By the time the Fourth of July rolled around, Felix had all but forgotten his worries regarding what the Evans’ had said. Somewhere along the way, he’d decided there were more important things to worry about than the likely-false accusations they’d made, that he’d rather let it go than worry his head over it. Even though he kinda knew deep down he should at least investigate who they were, he’d found it within himself to not care, especially with the new concerns about the gangs in town mounting and the introduction of KeyMaster.

He hadn’t seen the other vigilante again but, to be fair, there hadn’t been all too much time since their last meeting. He was honestly still shocked they’d met so frequently for so long. Felix could only hope the meetings would die down in frequency -- she seemed nice enough but he wasn’t interested in forming a partnership of any kind. 

Well, maybe if he was teaming up with Havenden’s warlock, but that was a separate matter -- the warlock had never encroached on his territory or questioned his abilities. The warlock was a friend, KeyMaster was more of a rival. One he’d cooperated with, but a rival nonetheless.

But on the morning of Fourth of July as he lazed in his living room on the couch beside his mother, sipping coffee and watching a Twilight Zone marathon, all that hardly mattered. He liked to keep his vigilante life separate from his civilian life where possible, so having a morning like this once in a while was absolutely key to even maintaining a semblance of balance. He’d struggled with it last school year and was determined to manage himself better in the future.

“Hey,” he commented, taking a long sip of coffee before continuing, “isn’t this actually kinda the worst show to marathon on a day that’s supposed to be celebratory? It’s all about how humans suck and other deep dark stuff like that.”

His mother shrugged. “I don’t mind. It’s realistic on a day so otherwise overblown with embellishments.”

Felix laughed lightly. “Well, I guess I shouldn’t complain about quality television.”

When the show went to commercial, however, they both groaned. 

“I can’t do this again,” the teen whined. “Just switch to something else and come back. There’s hardly a chance we’ll miss the show.”

“Ugh, fine, but I’m putting on the news,” Juliana conceded.

“Lesser of two evils…” Felix muttered, slightly disheartened at his prediction of what the news will be talking about.

Sure enough, when Juliana flipped to the local station, the headline displayed:

**“POLICE ASKING FOR INFORMATION REGARDING VIGILANTE”**

Juliana rose an eyebrow. “Vigilante singular?”

Felix shrugged. “Guess they’re only interested in one. Probably Scarfboy.”

Listening to what the newscaster was saying, he heard similar sentiments:

_ “...police have become concerned where the recent strings of new vigilantes are involved. They’ve released statements asking if anyone has information on who these vigilantes are and to do their duty as citizens and bring that information to the police. One vigilante in particular that the police would like information on is the one the city has started calling Scarfboy. This vigilante, the best known and longest active, has been singled out as the instigator of all other vigilante activity and deemed dangerous--” _

Juliana turned the TV off.

“Honestly,” she groaned, slumping down further in her seat. “I’m tired of hearing about this. I almost miss the overabundance of politics.”

Curious, Felix asked, “Really? I think all this vigilante stuff is kinda exciting.”

She narrowed her eyes as she directed her gaze at him. “Of course  _ you _ do, you’re a nerdy teenage boy. But I’m an adult, possibly the only functioning one in this household--”

“I don’t think any of us count as functioning, actually.”

“-- _ and _ I’m able to realize the truth of the matter here.”

Felix went cold. 

“...Um… what do you mean?”

_ Please don’t have figured me out, please don’t have figured me out _ , he begged internally. 

“That these vigilantes are pretty dumb.”

And so a whole other pause was sent through Felix.

“Elaborate?”

“Gladly. They’re stupid, not because they have no mental ability to fight crime like they do, but because they’re risking themselves when they do it! These people should know better than to risk their lives like this, what would people think if they were to die on the job? Either the entire city would find out who they were or their body would be done away with and their family would never know what happened to them! A few of them, the images the news sometimes shows, they don’t even look that old. No way that scarf guy is any older than his mid-twenties and even that’s giving him some serious nutritional issues,” she ranted, waving her hands in all directions as she spoke.

Felix gulped. “Oh, uh, yeah, I guess that’s a good point.”

She let out a long breath. “Seriously, it’s like everyone forgets these are people, not heroes that only exist when help is needed.”

Felix didn’t have any immediate response, choosing to sit with the silence for a moment.

Making a quick choice to try and lighten the mood, he cleared his throat. 

“So, uh… have you ever seen the vigilante that took up residence in Havenden?”

Juliana hummed, tilting her head. “Once. Not like I talked to the kid or anything. I just happened to see him as he darted by. I couldn’t really get a good look at him, my eyes kinda wanted to look away for some reason, but I saw him. It stands to reason he’s a student there but he’s also probably the vigilante putting themselves in the least amount of danger.”

Felix suddenly thought back to his first encounter with the warlock and the odd phenomenon where he could only make out a facial feature after an emotion was portrayed and drew the conclusion that the warlock probably had some sort of glamour protecting his identity since he lacked a mask.

_ Note to self: Tell Flex about findings _ , he thought briefly.

Once again, he didn’t know where to take the conversation, stewing in his own personal pot of awkwardness.

He was saved by his father entering the room.

The man was dressed down in his pj’s, something not uncommon to see, with his hair in a worse case of bedhead than Felix usually experienced and his glasses nowhere in sight.

Felix found great mystery as to how the man had poured the cup of coffee in hand without his glasses on but chose not to mention it.

“What’s with all the action so early in the morning?” Chester groaned.

Juliana smirked. “It’s eleven, dear.”

“As I said: Early,” the man insisted grumpily.

Felix welcomed the change of mood with open arms, setting his now empty mug down on the table in front of him as Chester took his spot in the armchair.

“Just the typical stuff going on in the city these days,” Felix explained.

Chester nodded and rubbed his eyes.

“God, I stayed at work so late last night,” he whined. “We’ve been having a lot of server issues recently and finally figured out there’s human interference.”

Felix frowned, inclining forward. “Wait, like, hackers?”

“Yup. There’s this new hacker group popping up and causing trouble lately. We finally added two and two together and sure enough, there’s evidence of tampering that matches the known signature,” Chester explained to them, slumping in his seat.

Felix tapped his foot anxiously. “Isn’t it weird they just showed up out of nowhere? Like, they must be part of a larger whole, right?”

His mother nodded. “It’s possible but not a given. It’d be something for the proper authorities to look into, though. 

Felix’s eyes sparkled. “Well, if you’re looking for organized crime, the West Side is probably where to look. Were you guys successful in tracing the interference? Any IP addresses?”

His father shook his head sluggishly. “Nope. Not a clue past the typical hallmarks of their work as others have reported.”

The teen sighed. “Yeah, should’ve guessed as much. Was anything seriously messed with?”

Juliana cut Chester off, saying, “I think we might be verging on classified information here.”

The boys pouted, forced to concede.

Remembering what day it was, Felix asked, “Hey, do we have any plans today? Like family barbeques? Firework watching?”

Juliana spared a glance at her husband’s blank expression before answering, “Well, we have a standing invitation to the Kelley’s household across the street for their party but we haven’t decided whether or not to take them up on it. With this issue at work, I’m certain your dad will be busy tonight, so it’s up to you and me.”

The prospect of a social situation was pretty unappealing but he also knew they hadn’t really engaged with their community much since moving into town. It would also probably be healthy to get some social interaction with people other than Brody, his parents, and his favorite barista -- it didn’t mean he had to like it but it did seem to be the case.

He locked eyes with his mother and nodded. “Yeah, let’s go. It’d be good for us.”

Felix could see a slight bit of annoyance crop up in her eyes and he guessed she’d hoped he’d give into his own introversion and settle for a quiet night at home. 

“Ugh, fine. We’ll go be normal people for a night,” she muttered, taking a big gulp of her coffee.

“That’a girl.”

~

The party at the Kelley household had been fun enough. Felix didn’t actually know anyone, not even the other teenagers who honest to god sneered at him when he tried to introduce himself, so he found a nice, quiet corner outside and sat alone for most of the night. When he did come out, it was only for food and to check on his mother whom he’d effectively ditched. 

He had to say the food was pretty good -- violently American, even. The amount of bacon he saw was a little disgusting but the hamburgers were some of the best he’d ever had so he allowed it. Dessert was also pretty good and for once he felt like he wouldn’t have to stop for food at all on patrol that night.

Well, more clearly, he wasn’t going on patrol at all that night. He was going out, yes, but he planned on investigating something more important.

The moment Felix and his mom got home, she wished him goodnight and went to recover from the large amount of social interaction. It was clear Chester wouldn’t be returning anytime soon so even though it was only eight at night, Felix grabbed Flex set out as his vigilante alter ego.

The hacker group his dad had talked about was easily becoming a problem for a variety of people and companies. Now that it was also brought to the prevalence that it was causing his dad issues, it was probably a good time to look into it. 

The vigilante made for the West Side of town, where organized crime was the heaviest. Though many lived over here, the large harbor, industrial warehouses, and poor living conditions brought on an onslaught of gang activity and muggings. Felix used to stop by the West Side on patrols far more often but started to lessen the amount when rumors of Dark Gunner started up.

Plus, after joining a gang undercover, he figured he should stay out of the action for a while due to safety concerns. 

Something his extended investigation into a now-disbanded gang had given him, though, was a contact. An information broker who was careful to conceal his own identity. It was assumed the man was part of a gang himself, or at the very least had multiple workers in a variety of different gangs feeding him what they find, because he seemed almost endlessly knowledgeable regarding gang activity. He hadn’t charged Felix when he’d discovered the teen posing as “Marty Lewis” in the Crimson Coast gang and helped the police gather evidence on it, and if the man knew that brunette kid was the same vigilante he gave free information to every now and then, he made no comment and Felix would trust the man not to tell. 

He was an information broker, yes, but something that had become clear was a fondness for superhero comics that translated to a willingness to help the vigilante out. It was almost too simple for someone in such a dangerous line of business.

The contact, often called Deathwish because of the risky way he conducted his business, was typically found in a bar on the edge of the coast called  _ Fish Bone’s Bar _ . It was pretty sketchy and frequented by those with low moral obligations. Felix always hated the salty smelling, boozed-up guys who frequented it but he thankfully didn’t have to enter the building himself. The way to contact Deathwish was through an old payphone on the backside of the bar. Placing a call to the restaurant and asking for the man would send him out to meet you. 

After waiting about two minutes for the man, leaning against the wall with the payphone two feet to his left, Felix finally heard the back door open and turned his head in time to see the man himself step through the doorframe in all his hooded glory. He always kept the majority of his face hidden and the only distinguishing features Felix could ever make out were a few silver piercings.

The info broker smiled when he recognized his customer was the vigilante.

“Heya, Scarfy. Been a while, hasn’t it?” Deathwish greeted. “Two months, at least.”

Felix gave the man a wide grin. “Haven’t been in the area. But I am tonight.”

His contact walked over beside Felix, leaning back and letting out a sigh.

“And you just happen to be in the mood to pay me a visit?”

“I  _ may _ need some help on something,” Felix admitted.

“Mmm… Interestin’ turn of events takin’ place?” The man asked.

Felix let his grin grow. “You should be the one able to answer that.”

Deathwish nodded. “Yes, but only with the appropriate question.”

The vigilante gave a breathy laugh. “I’m looking for info regarding a certain hacker group stirring up a ruckus lately. I need to know any information you have on their infrastructure, their HQ, and any affiliated groups. I get the feeling something more is going on than a few programmers wanting to cause trouble.”

“Right, you are, Scarfy! There is a little more. Dunno if I wanna tell ya’, though…”

Felix stiffened up. “What? Why? You’ve never been information shy before. Don’t tell me you want money? I thought we had something special, you totally innocent citizen.”

The man hummed, tilting his head. “Is that supposed to be an insult?”

“Low-key, yeah.”

“Not workin’. And no, I don’t want any money from ya’. I get tons of pay from both ends of the law, I don’t need any from some twinky fella like ya’self.”

“Then what is it?” Felix prodded.

After a moment of silence, the man heaved a sigh and brought his hand up, making a finger gun pointed at the vigilante’s head.

“Because another little fella workin’ outside the law is currently investigatin’ it,” he said, making a little sound effect as he pretend-fired.

Felix’s blood ran cold as he came to understand the meaning. “You mean… Dark Gunner? I’ve only heard rumors about him, never anything substantial. He’s targeting the group?”

Deathwish chuckled. “Fine, I’ll squeal. But don’t blame me if ya’ get hurt.”

The man made a sweeping check of their surroundings, checking for unwanted ears, before continuing. 

“The hacker group you’re referrin’ to, it’s directly affiliated with the Hell’s Harbor gang. The higher-ups there like makin’ bold moves and they’ve branched out a lot before,” the info broker started.

Felix nodded along. “Yeah, I remember they had some beef with the old Crimson Coast gang. A struggle for dominance.”

“Yup! And though the fall of the violent Crimson Coast gang was without a doubt a good thing, it also gave Hell’s Harbor some wiggle room. They’ve started pushin’ other groups into lower prominence. Makin’ moves on the tech business is just one way of assertin’ dominance.”

Felix frowned. “How exactly did Crimson Coast go down again? I wasn’t all too involved at the time.”

Deathwish dismissed the question and Felix felt relieved. “Not too important. I played a role in it but an unnamed buddy of mine did most’a the work.”

“Anyway,” the man continued, “Hell’s Harbor has been gettin’ ballsy lately. But so has that gunman. Word ‘round the rumor mill is that he’s an ex-soldier or somethin’ like that. Unfortunately, I don’t have any solid info on him, jus’ that he’s dangerous and startin’ to target the members of Hell’s Harbor. He’s prolly got it handled… or, at least, he may not like it if ya’ try to get involved.”

The vigilante crossed his arms, grimacing. “So, what? You’re worried he’d shoot me?”

The info broker shrugged. “Rumor mill describes him as a violent guy who’s a lil’ trigger happy. He obviously does a lot to take his targets down so I can’t tell ya’ what he’d do to someone who threatens to steal the glory.”

A moment of silence passed between them and Felix found momentary comfort in the sound of the ocean the bar overlooked, gently hitting the concrete used as a coastline. The night seemed a bit too nice for the conversation at hand.

“...And if I don’t interfere? Do you think he’ll manage on his own? He can’t possibly mean to take down all of Hell’s Harbor on his own, can he?” Felix questioned.

Deathwish gave a long sigh. “Kiddo, I don’t really know. There’s not a lot of solid info on ‘im. I’ve searched into this before and got nothin’. Lots of what I hear is real overblown, too. Like the rumor he’s a god of death. As if.”

The info broker laughed after that; Felix didn’t. Sure, he doubted that rumor as well but until he got a solid explanation for how on Earth the Havenden warlock’s abilities worked, he doubted he’d find it funny. 

When the man continued, his tone grew more serious. “If ya’ end up pushin’ yer nose into this, be careful, kay? You’re one of my favorite customers.”

Felix frowned. “But I don’t pay you anything.”

“It’s not in the pay. It’s in what ya’ do with what I give ya’. I’ll prolly be gettin’ another visitor tonight, so ya’ might wanna scram.”

The vigilante nodded and bid the hooded man farewell, taking off towards the north where Hell’s Harbor sometimes gathered.

_ “Felix?” _ Flex spoke up, far more tentative than usual.

“Yeah, buddy?”

_ “What are we doing?” _

“The only thing I can think of. I’m gonna see what this Dark Gunner guy is all about.”

_ “Felix, he kills people,” _ Flex warned.

“I know, I know. I gotta be careful. But I can’t just sit back and do nothing.”

Flex didn’t argue back to that point but did speak up with,  _ “I don’t like that informant very much. He speaks so casually and is way too dangerous.” _

“Eh, he’s alright. Don’t be such a spoilsport.”

  
  


~

Felix knew there were quite a few hot-spots for gang activity on the West Side. Violent crimes tended to happen a little further into the city, usually in the middle of the West Side and large meet-ups tended to go down along the borders, typically favoring an area along the coast. Larger gangs, especially, loved to monopolize the waterfront, most times blackmailing the fishermen for some share of their pay.

The moon was nearing fullness but the clouds in the sky obscured it’s light, making for a darker sky that night. He supposed the firework celebrations should be starting soon. Though many people went to see the fireworks display held at Golden Beach, a 30-minute drive to the north from the edge of the city, there was still an event down by the harbor, though most people just watched it from the taller buildings of the city.

Felix almost regretted spending the night like this, away from his family. But his father wasn’t available and he couldn’t recall ever being particularly fascinated by fireworks in the first place so he didn’t waste much time on throwing himself a pity party.

He had work to do.

It was about two hours in, at his third location of the night, that he managed to pick up on the very quiet sound of footsteps. They were fast but soft and Felix couldn’t quite figure out what direction they were from or where they were going on his perch on the roof of a smaller warehouse that belonged to the Newcoast Fishing Company. The place was pretty ramshackle and was seldom used ever since a bigger one got constructed a few years ago but Felix was privy to the information that the locks were all decrepit and broken, easily allowing trespassers inside. The tin roof itself was full of rather large holes, allowing Felix a good range of vision from his waiting spot. 

The footsteps alerted him that someone was in the building below but for all his effort straining his eyes, he couldn’t seem to pinpoint their location. After about a minute of quick-paced steps eluding his sight, Felix decided to get a better viewpoint.

Cautiously, he climbed along the roof, careful not to make any loud noises. It was when he peeked through a hole on the opposite end of the building that he finally caught sight of the elusive vigilante.

The first impression wasn’t the clearest: The guy blended into the darkness of the night extremely well with the dark colors and he didn’t have anything that pulled away from his stealth like Flex’s silver radiance did for Felix at times.

But the glimpse of movement as the gunman skirted around a large shipping crate gave Felix an idea of what the situation was -- that is, it was obvious Dark Gunner was checking for anyone else in the building.

Felix had to admit he was pretty shocked the place was empty. It was such a hot spot that you’d normally see at least one or two people lurking. Maybe a warning had been issued that Dark Gunner would show up? But then it was more likely they’d prepare for a fight rather than evacuate. They were feisty like that.

So, it must just be a grand coincidence. Felix counted himself lucky.

He changed position again, trying to spot the other vigilante. The next glimpse was a little longer and Felix managed to pick out a black leather jacket and a black beanie with a dark red lining as part of the guy’s outfit. Then he disappeared from sight again and Felix was left searching.

_ “What’s he look like?” _ Flex asked, squirming slightly from his spot draped on Felix’s shoulders.

“Shh!” Felix whispered, skirting to the middle of the roof as fast as he could.

_ “Oh, please! As if he’d hear me.” _

“No... but  _ I _ do and it’s ruining my concentration,” Felix complained.

There were some grumbles from the scarf but Flex mostly remained silent after that.

Soon, Felix arrived at a hole that was almost in the dead center of the warehouse. There were still quite a few spots he couldn’t see but he reckoned it was his best bet. 

Sure enough, it was easier to spot the gunman from a more central point of view, seeing a quick flash of movement every now and then, often surprisingly far apart. Felix began to wonder just how thorough this guy was going to be as to how empty the building was. He couldn’t even tell if this was emblematic of a cautious mindset or of a deep want to find something to shoot at.

It was a disturbing thought that he quickly decided to brush aside for the time being. 

Eventually, the other vigilante began to slow down, ending up out in the open in the middle of the floor, glancing around as if confused. Felix couldn’t hear him say anything from so far up but had a strong feeling he’d let out some whispered complaint.

Finally, he was able to take in the vigilante’s full appearance. Instead of a mask like he, KeyMaster, and the Evans siblings had, Dark Gunner wore a pair of pure black, sleekly designed sunglasses, a dark mask with a creepy, crescent grin on the front. Felix had been right about the beanie earlier and from his vantage point, he could just see some pieces of blonde hair sticking out from beneath it. He’d also seen the leather jacket right, now visibly worn on top of a dark red shirt. His jeans were also black, or at least really dark, and torn in several places -- not even in the fashionable way. Felix had to admit they looked pretty cool though and would probably wear them himself if his style wasn’t more “book nerd” than “emo kid.”

Dark Gunner had obviously accepted that no gang members were in the building tonight and Felix was worried for a second that he’d leave before Felix could even get a good observation.

Thankfully, though, the vigilante seemed to have different plans. Felix could make out the watch Dark Gunner took a moment to check and was reminded to turn his attention to his own phone, affirming the time as 4 minutes to midnight. He absentmindedly acknowledged that fireworks should have started by now but maybe they were just having some difficulties getting started.

Turning his attention back down to the vigilante below him, he noticed the guy was reaching down into his pocket. Felix froze up for a moment and ducked his head away from the opening, hoping Dark Gunner wasn’t reaching for his gun as he thought he was.

After a few moments of silence, he realized he wasn’t being shot at and peeked his head back over to look at what was going on.

As it turns out, the vigilante hadn’t been reaching for a weapon but had instead brought out a bag of candy and had pulled down his lower mask to reveal his mouth. Felix had no clue as to why -- the longer he looked, the more apparent it became that they were sour gummy worms and that the vigilante was eating them himself. So the guy just… liked them?

Dark Gunner began to walk over to a window on the side of the building that looked out to the water and propped himself to lean against it. Felix quickly checked to see if there was anything worth looking at before returning to his spying.

_ “Um… did he just let his guard down?”  _ Flex asked.

“Yeah, he did,” Felix whispered back. “Guess he determined the building to be empty and wanted to take a break?”

_ “Why are all you vigilantes so lazy?” _

“Hey! The Havenden warlock seems to work really hard.”

_ “KeyMaster would be so happy of your valiant defense of her,” _ Flex snarked.

Felix puffed out a scoff. “Please, we both know she’d be able to defend herself. Tell her your thoughts next time you see her, Flex. See where it gets you.”

_ “We both know that’s ridiculous.”  _

“And you calling people who work overtime to clean up crime isn’t?”

_ “You’re right, my bad. That’s just reckless.” _

Felix returned his attention to Dark Gunner.

“I don’t know…” he deliberated. “Some of us get into more danger than others.”

After a moment of silence, a dull boom resounded through the sky. Felix damn-near jumped out of his skin before noticed the fireworks already lighting up the sky not too far away down the coast. He’d been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t noticed the first one flare up.

Dark Gunner had also freaked out for a moment, it seems, because the guy had snapped his head in the direction of the noise.

Felix watched as another rocket shot up into the sky, exploding into a spread of purple. He gave a little laugh at how much of the light got through the holes in the building’s roof, lighting up the vigilante with bright colors along with the rest of the interior. The loud booms slowly calmed Felix and the vigilante seemed to calm down as well.

“Huh…” Felix reflected. “You know, Flex? I always thought fireworks were just kinda… neutral. I didn’t really have an opinion. But they’re actually really cool.”

_ “Most people think so, according to my database. Have you ever seen them in person before? That seems to be the format found most beautiful by most,” _ his scarf supplied.

Felix gave a moment of thought to it, gazing down onto the vigilante below him. Dark Gunner seemed pretty relaxed by this point, absently chewing on the sour worms while gazing back out the window.

“I… can’t say. I thought I did but maybe I was too young to really appreciate them…” Felix answered, scratching his head.

“Speaking of young, my mom said something about how young she expected the city’s vigilantes to be. We currently know how young two of us are -- I’m fifteen and the Havenden warlock has to be a university student. KeyMaster seems relatively young too, I wouldn’t place her any older than mid-twenties. This Dark Gunner guy… everyone says he’s some war veteran because of his marksmanship but…” Felix trailed off, focusing on the youthful stature and eating habits of the other vigilante.

“How can I say a guy eating sour gummy worms and moving so fluidly is some old dude?” He shook his head, laughing at the prospect.

_ “He’s killed people, Felix. That’s why Deathwish almost didn’t tell you anything,”  _ Flex pointed out.

“I  _ know _ , okay?” Felix sighed. “I’m not excusing that, I’m just saying… I don’t know what I’m saying… it just doesn’t make much sense to me. But then again, if you break down the idea of a teenage boy with a coffee addiction doubling as a vigilante who fights using his snarky, talking scarf… That sounds pretty nonsensical, too.”

_ “What are you getting at, Felix?” _

Booms filling the air and color sporadically lighting up the world around him, Felix once again struggled for an answer. Reality seemed warped in that moment and the details of his current lifestyle suddenly seemed unnatural. Everything seemed like it would fall apart under any greater inspection and he was honestly frightened of the prospect things would unravel more.

The questions he’d refused to think about threatened to surge up and force him to search for an answer and he only just barely managed to suppress them, pushing them down beyond his notice once more.

Swallowing hard, Felix forced himself to take a deep breath and clear his mind, focusing on the rhythmic booms filling the sky as a distraction.

“I guess, if there’s anything I’m trying to say, is that I don’t want to judge him yet,” Felix answered, only half-positive it was what he wanted to say. “I don’t know why he does what he does, when he started to do it, or anything about him. For all I know he’s just a lost kid, like…”

_ Like me, _ Felix finished in his mind, not letting the thoughts slip out for Flex to dissect. 

“In any case, my silver sidekick, I think it’s time to get out of dodge. No telling when our edgy little friend down there will actually notice us.”

Felix backed away from the opening in the roof slowly before managing his way to the edge of the roof and making a run for it. He’d noticed he’d made a slight bang kicking off from the roof, but even if the fireworks didn’t manage to cover it up, he doubted Dark Gunner would even have time to react.

~

Felix didn’t want to go home right away. He doubted he’d get a good sleep with how worried his mind was, anyway, so he decided to head to a place he knew would calm him.

He’d lost track of how much time it had taken to get there by foot, but he was soon enough on the far north end of Newcoast, overlooking the darkness-engulfed college campus from his spot within the bell tower. He was sure the warlock wouldn’t mind him up there… if he was even awake at this hour, that is.

The teen wanted to clear his head, he really did, and while the calm atmosphere of the campus helped, it didn’t do nearly enough.

“Hey, Flex?” He tentatively searched out.

_ “What is it now?” _

Felix hesitated for a moment before continuing, “My mom said earlier that the vigilantes around the city are stupid for risking their lives so much when we all seem rather young. What do you think? Is it dumb that I do this almost every night? I consider myself competent but… there have been quite a few risky gambles and barely-managed moments. How soon before something does me in?”

His scarf let a moment of silence pass and Felix knew he must have been debating whether or not to give a serious answer.

Finally, Flex replied,  _ “With as much opinion as I can actually have, I’d say all you humans are a little stupid. There are tons of documents in my data especially regarding the teenage years about how natural it is for humans to make mistakes. But I don’t believe you’d consider this whole thing a mistake even if it ended up killing you so that’s probably not helpful. Overall, I’d say it’s stupid in the most general of definitions but looking at you gives way to another perspective.” _

Felix frowned, fingering a piece of the scarf that laid above his chest. “And what perspective is that?”

_ “I’m not gonna say this often so listen up, kiddo. Your heart, just like that warlock’s heart and hopefully that KeyMaster’s heart… it’s in the right place. You could have done so much else -- so much worse -- once you found me and yet you consistently risk your life for others and sometimes even get the scars and bruises to prove it… though that’s definitely something you shouldn’t brag about.” _

Felix snorted. “Yeah, I’d say showing off battle scars is one of the stupidest ways to blow your secret identity.”

_ “Somehow I get the feeling you’d manage it.” _

“Watch it.”

_ “Got it, got it. We’re off-track anyway. Back to the point, you’ve got a good heart and I’d consider you capable enough to look out for yourself on a regular basis. KeyMaster can generally look out for herself as well and so can our warlock friend… at least, I assume he could, but it’s not like we’ve ever observed him in combat. The point is, I get why your mom worried this morning but I don’t think you should worry your little head over it. And believe me, it  _ is  _ little,”  _ Flex finished.

“Hah! I don’t know whether you’re trying to reassure me or insult me,” Felix pointed out.

_ “Little bit of both.” _

“It was a lazy joke.”

_ “I’m allowed that. Side characters are always allowed to be less interesting.” _

Felix finally grinned. “Oh, really? So there’s no show or book out there where a side character is more interesting than the main?”

_ “...From my database, I can tell you that’s the way it should be but your tone of voice indicates a trap.” _

“Let’s just say I could name quite a few examples. Also, thanks for admitting I’d be the main character.”

_ “I never said that,”  _ Flex denied.  _ “I just said I’d be a side character. For all I care, you’d be one, too.” _

Pouting, Felix gave a light swing to his dangling legs before rising up. “C’mon, let’s go home before we ruin the warlock’s beauty sleep.”

_ “Felix, he’s a year-round college student. I highly doubt he’s asleep this early. On a weekday,”  _ Flex criticized. 

Felix shuddered, taking one last sweeping look at the quiet campus. “God, I could never do college year-round. I don’t care if it cuts a year off, I need my summer breaks.”

_ “Sometimes I worry if you’ll make it out of high school.”  _

The vigilante gave a slight twirl to his scarf, taking pleasure in the quickly voiced discontent, before taking off on his journey home.

When he did finally get back to his room, it was near 4 a.m., and he passed out on his desk as soon as he hid the evidence of his nightly activities away. He’d regret the location in the morning. 


	8. [Pondering on Patrol]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the gang's all here, pt 1

It was a week later from that night that Felix went back to Havenden University. He hadn’t been consciously avoiding it but the later nights he’d had left him too tired to do much else. Brody had gone on vacation maybe four days ago and was too preoccupied to keep Felix from becoming too nocturnal. 

Felix didn’t consider it too big of a deal, though, because he had a little extra time on patrols when his energy was more centered on being awake at night. It also gave him an excuse to visit  _ Popchester’s _ every day -- not that he really needed an excuse. To be honest, he’d probably be there more than once a day if it wouldn’t be cause to worry about his health. His love for coffee was almost religious at this point and he’d be sorry about it if only he didn’t love coffee so much.

He did miss Brody, though, and was kinda starting to feel the need for someone roughly his age to laugh with.

Which is precisely the reason why he visited Havenden University just past sundown to see someone he hadn’t had any substantial time with recently.

Felix guessed it must have been the right time, too, because when he ducked into the first empty classroom in the English hall, the warlock appeared within the minute.

The pinkette threw a skeptical look at Felix. “What’s going on? You don't come by often.”

Felix gave him a trademark grin. “Just stopping in! And, well, maybe something else, but the main deal is I wanted to check up on you.”

Smiling lightly, the warlock shook his head. “I don’t need checking up on. I appreciate the thought, though.”

Felix sighed. “At least someone does… Anyway, I’m about to head out on patrol for tonight and I was wondering if you’d bid me some company.”

There was a moment of pause as the warlock frowned, seemingly confused. 

“Wait,” he started, “are you inviting me out on patrol with you? Is that a thing vigilantes do?”

Felix shrugged. “No clue, there really aren’t that many examples to look up to.”

_ “If anything, you’re the foremost example,”  _ Flex pointed out.

“Hmmm… I guess you’re right,” Felix pondered.

“Huh? But I didn’t… Oh, right! You talk to your scarf. Almost forgot,” The warlock laughed airily, rubbing the back of his neck.

Felix nodded briefly, turning his attention back to the main topic. “Flex said I’d be the foremost example of what vigilantes do. So what do you say? Wanna tear up the town with me tonight?”

The warlock smiled cheekily. “I’m positive tearing the town up is the last thing two self-proclaimed protectors should do.”

“Y’see! I need you, man! At least one of us needs a sense of morals!” Felix reasoned.

The other vigilante spent a moment half-smiling, half-conflicted, before nodding. “Okay. I’m sure the campus can survive for a night. What does your patrol detail?”

Felix did a little victory dance in his head before replying, “I usually set out a bit later in the night but I wanted to make sure I got a hold of you. Past that, I have a few runs around the more southern end of the city first then I kinda work my way in a zigzag pattern most nights to the most active hotspots. I usually wrap it up around 3 a.m.”

The warlock let out a long whistle. “Three in the morning? When do you sleep?”

“People say my sleep habits resemble that of a vampire.”

“That’s far too relatable, sadly enough…” the warlock huffed out a laugh. “Though even I typically get to sleep by two. That’s not the case if I get distracted from work, though.”

Felix eyed the warlock for a moment. “I’m guessing either video games or anime. You’re not a porn kinda guy and you’re way too flashy for something boring like crime shows. So which one?”

“Yes.”

~

Felix had thought he’d have to slow down for the warlock during patrol, but the guy’s agile speed quickly reminded him that this was the same person who’d run up the side of a building just a few weeks ago, so if anyone was slowing down, it was the warlock for Felix.

That being said, the warlock was also obviously somewhat disoriented with their surroundings. After a few too many instances of Felix calling the warlock back from a wrong turn, the other vigilante finally explained, “I’ve never been this far away from campus at night, sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Felix assured him. “Just let me lead, yeah?”

He was met with a firm nod and they were off again.

Felix was almost disappointed by how quiet the city was. The duo had only encountered one noteworthy event and yet the muggers had run away almost as soon as they’d seen the vigilantes. Felix quickly lost track of them and simply escorted the victim to the nearest police car.

It was nearing one in the morning now, the vigilantes sat next to one another on a tall building just across the street from the community college. They’d spotted a vending machine not much earlier and had decided to take a brief snack break.

As with most conversations with the warlock, Felix found himself having a pleasant time.

It was about halfway through his bag of skittles that Felix finally asked, “Okay, seriously, I need to ask. What’s with the bats?”   
  


His friend smiled softly and reached up to play with one of his earrings. 

“I mean… bats are cute, aren’t they? I don’t think there’s all that much more reason needed,” the warlock answered. 

Felix rose an eyebrow. “I mean, I like cats but you don’t see me plastering a giant print-out of one on the front of my turtleneck.”

The warlock simply shook his head. “No, I mean, well…”

He took a deep breath and took a bite out of his Milky-Way. “Sometimes the things most important to you have no reason behind them but that doesn’t mean you should celebrate them any less.” 

_ “Another brilliant moment of rosy-eyed wisdom,”  _ Flex snarked.

“Shut up, Flex, you can’t say that wasn’t even slightly moving,” Felix bit back.

_ “I’m not alive. For that matter, I’m a scarf. The only thing that should be able to move me is a great enough physical force.” _

__ “Don’t bring Isaac Newton into this.”

_ “I’ll bring Isaac Newton into this if I damn well please.” _

_ At least bat-boy is getting a kick out of this…  _ Felix thought to himself as he noticed the warlock giggling at the one-sided exchange. 

“No way. Isaac Newton is too important a man for your grubby little hands.”

All three of them seemingly paused as Felix’s words processed. 

_ “That’s a low blow, man. Low blow.” _

Felix didn’t know whether he should apologize to his scarf or take the moment to seize the conversation. For once, he was grateful for being interrupted.

However, he remained somewhat partial as to the interruption itself.

Though he couldn’t figure out for the life of him how she suddenly appeared from over the edge of the roof, KeyMaster had suddenly flung herself up in front of the duo.

She smirked when she saw the scarf-clad vigilante, then frowned when she noticed there was someone else present.

“Huh, and here I was thinking you were talking to yourself again. Who’s this?” She asked.

Felix quickly stood up, gesturing to the warlock to do the same.   
  


“KeyMaster, this is the warlock of Havenden University. Bat-boy, this is the vigilante who’s been somewhat encroaching on my territory as of late...”

After a pause, he added, “...and who appears to be stalking me.”

_ “Definitely stalking.” _

KeyMaster scoffed, shaking her head. “I’m not stalking you. You’re just really loud.”

Quickly, she seemed to remember her purpose and reached into her bag, tossing something over to Felix and the warlock in succession. 

After an unceremonious catch, Felix inspected the can in his hand and felt his eyes widen as he noticed it was iced coffee.

“Glad I bought an extra one for later,” KeyMaster said as she sat down on the other side of Felix, pulling out another can and popping it open.

Felix rose an eyebrow. “Does that mean you bought one specifically for me before you even saw me?”

She scowled at him. “... I may like iced coffee a lot, okay? I bought a few more than may be necessary at the start of the night.”

Felix shrugged it off. “Don’t worry, I won’t spill that you’re actually a nice person. Plus, this is way more up my alley than soda is.”

The warlock’s soft voice interrupted the pair’s quarrels. “Um… thank you, miss.”

KeyMaster waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. Someone’s gotta keep you dumb boys alive.”

_ “She’s got a point. You have been known to throw yourself off of buildings,”  _ Flex pointed out.

“That was one time…” Felix groaned, earning a confused look from KeyMaster and a slight giggle from the warlock.

The girl beside him sighed. “Still talking to yourself after all. I recommend you wake yourself up a bit.”

Felix grinned. “Can’t argue that. Cheers.”

As if in sync, he and the warlock opened their cans up, clanked them together, and took a deep first sip. Felix sighed happily at the taste, though he had to say canned coffee didn’t even come close to  _ Popchester’s _ . Plus, he preferred it warm.

Turning his attention back to KeyMaster, he gave her a questioning look. “So, Key-Club, do tell: What exactly were you doing in my area?”

He could practically taste the scowl sent his way -- or maybe it was just the bitter aftertaste of the coffee.

“You know, you don’t  _ own _ this city,” she sneered. “Unless you literally manage a complex, you can’t exactly lay claim to it.”

Felix let his grin widen. “And who says I don’t own half the city?”

KeyMaster seemed unfazed. “Hah. Please.”

Slightly offended, Felix leaned toward her. “Oh? Why is that so unreasonable?”

She settled him with a look that screamed unimpressed. “Well, disregarding everything about you for a moment, the fact that you even announce it as a possibility means it’s not something that could easily identify you in real life. That, or you have a reckless abandon for your actual identity, which is hardly likely considering the mask.”

_ “Ooooh. She’s got you there.” _

“Ever occur to you that I may want you to think that? That I do own half the city and just want to get you off my trail so I make it too obvious to appear true?” Felix fired back.

She took another long sip. “And the fact that you brought that up disqualifies it as well.”

Felix ignored the warlock giggling behind him. KeyMaster didn’t.

“Speaking of masks…” she started. “Where’s yours?”

It was a fair question, though it was easy to guess the answer.

The warlock shook his head. “Don’t need one. I don’t exactly have pink hair and gold eyes in real life.”

Felix smirked at KeyMaster’s growing frustration. “So, what, it’s a wig? And colored contacts? Isn’t that uncomfortable in combat?”

The warlock once again shook his head. “Nope. It’s still real.”

Felix decided to give the girl a break.

“Don’t even bother,” he cut in. “I don’t even understand how his abilities work, let alone the fact that his hair apparently changes color. I’d rather not bother.”

KeyMaster didn’t look convinced but let it go nonetheless. She straightened up and threw an inquisitive look at Felix.

“Well then, it’s about time to ask: Why exactly are you two together? Aren’t you supposed to be oh-so-territorial when it comes to other vigilantes?” She challenged.

Felix rolled his eyes, though he supposed it wouldn’t be very obvious under the lenses of his mask and also threw in a hand wave for good measure. “Magic-boy over here is  _ nice _ . He’s helped me out and I  _ invited _ him.  _ You _ only get to stick around ‘cause you bring me caffeine.”

“Ooh, yeah, that’s a big no on  _ Magic-boy _ ,” the warlock chimed in. “But thanks.”

KeyMaster, meanwhile, bit back with, “You say I’m not nice and yet you’re the one constantly forgetting proper manners.”

Felix shrugged. “Hey, I never said  _ I  _ was nice, just that he is.”

_ “I highly doubt you’ve never called yourself nice,”  _ Flex pointed out.

“Hey! Scarfboy is plenty nice!” The warlock argued back. Felix couldn’t help but notice how well trimmed his eyebrows were when they furrowed. He was really gonna have to ask the warlock about the blurry features thing one of these days. He was so distracted he almost didn’t notice the use of the word “Scarfboy.” 

He shuddered and was almost amused by the slight shudder from Flex, instinctively begging, “Please don’t call me that.”

KeyMaster was chuckling as the warlock replied, “Oh, sorry, I forgot.”

Felix shook his head, accepting the apology. “God, I really need to get that fixed up. Or find the first person who used it and punch them around a bit to get some revenge. That’d be real pleasing.”

As soon as a lapse of silence fell upon them, the chance to observe the community college below was ended by the beeping of Felix’s phone.

He quickly ended the timer, chugged the rest of his coffee, and stood up -- a slight dizzy spell almost ruining his suave motions.

“Break’s over,” he announced, lending a hand to help the warlock up. “Time to get back to the nightly grind.”

KeyMaster stood as well, taking a few finishing sips of her iced coffee and throwing the pair a slight wave.

A sudden flood of guilt washed over Felix and in an instant, he found himself calling out, “Wait!”

She turned around surprised. “What is it?”

He took a deep breath and muttered, “Would you… Would you like to join us?”

She took a moment to reply but when she did, it was a simple, “Why?”

Felix let himself smile a bit. “Someone’s gotta keep us dumb boys alive, right?”

The night took shape from there on.

Honestly, Felix definitely hadn’t been planning for the night to involve him, the warlock of Havenden University, and his half-rival KeyMaster bouncing around the city getting into scrapes and having fun, but in the end, he guessed he didn’t get a choice about where life took him. And even if he could’ve called KeyMaster joining them ahead of time, he definitely wouldn’t have guessed she would prove a good partner for more than a few minutes.

...Sure, she still bugged him somewhat, especially when she turned a colder shoulder to him than to the warlock, but he learned to stop caring after a while.

It got to the point that by the time the sun started rising, the three of them were in an exhausted heap on the edge of the central city, leaning up against one another. Felix joked that KeyMaster should’ve bought more coffee. He shouldn’t have been surprised when she pulled one out and hurled it at his face. The warlock was too busy watching the sunrise to care about their squabbling then.

And by the time the sun finished rising, the three had disbanded and returned to their civilian lives, leaving the night’s fun behind for the time being.

Felix knew it was odd and dangerous to be involving himself so heavily with the other vigilantes but found that, even though it was something he’d been hesitant of not long ago, it was too fun an experience not to consider recreating it in the near future. And if and when he’d consider seeking out some companionship for a patrol again, at least he knew it wouldn’t be a waste of time.

That night really was only the start, though, as Felix probably could’ve guessed. 

  
  


~

  
  


Felix found himself inviting the warlock out on patrol a lot more often after that. There was truly something to be said about the guy’s rosy outlook and bright attitude that made him extraordinarily easy to get along with. It wasn’t every night that he was invited on patrol -- Felix knew the guy had stuff of his own to do -- but that didn’t mean it wasn’t still a substantial number of times as the days continued to pass.

KeyMaster also became a regular, though only ever by the merit that she’d run into the pair and usually left when they strayed too far from her pre-planned route. Felix guessed she was the type of person to plan every moment out to the detail and that he’d already interfered enough.

Some nights were entirely uneventful. Some had encounter after encounter. One night even had some form of aggression at every stop on Felix’s patrol. He was honestly happy he had someone to back him up that night because he could only imagine the sort of mistakes he’d start making while that exhausted if left on his own.

Brody was still out on a family vacation by the time the last full week on the calendar for July rolled around -- a fact Felix won’t pretend had nothing to do with him searching out friendship from the other vigilantes. Ross was great and all but Felix needed people other than his barista to keep him going for such a long stretch of time.

It was also just… nice, to have the other vigilantes around. Somehow, they’d found the same -- or at least a similar -- path that he had and as such often understood his occasional gripes about fighting crime. It was refreshing to be able to talk to people other than Flex about such a large part of his life.

Still, Felix still spent a lot of time alone.

One Wednesday night was such a night that the other vigilantes hadn’t joined him. He’d managed to stop a quick theft earlier on in the night but now was pretty sure he’d have to call the night early.

Having missed a cup of coffee from his house due to how long he slept in and, having forgotten to head out to  _ Popchester’s _ , he was utterly exhausted. It might be a testament to how much he overworked himself if simply lacking caffeine caused such a sluggishness in him but he didn’t even have the mental availability to consider that at the moment.

Which may partially -- mostly -- explain how he ended up off-route, staring at the dark sea at 2:24 AM, mesmerized by the sound of waves lightly crashing against the concrete walkway bordering the water. He could hardly see far, the moon being far too crescent-shaped to benefit much from its light. A few blocks down the waterfront he could hear people yelling, most likely fishermen, but he couldn’t be entirely sure if it was real or just his brain trying its hardest to stay awake. 

Blearily checking his watch and his surroundings, the fact that he was far out of his normal territory belatedly hit him and he took a step to turn around and start his return trip home…

... only to find a pistol shoved into his face.

Felix instantly froze up, his brain taking a moment longer to process what he was seeing than his body took to react to it. 

Cautiously, he tilted his head to get a view of who exactly it was pointing a gun at him, expecting it to be some gang member he’d angered by taking down a member of their gang.

So, in other words, he was shocked to find a masked face he’d only seen once before.

_ With how dark it is tonight, there’s no way those sunglasses actually provide him any benefit, _ Felix thought to himself the moment before the urgency of the situation set in.

“Uhh… Hey there, man. Fancy meeting you here… You go by Dark Gunner, right?” Felix stuttered out.

The other vigilante remained silent for a moment before clearing his throat a little.

“Why are you here, Scarfboy?”

_ “God, I’m starting to hate that name as much as you do,” _ Flex admitted.

Felix didn’t take the time to shush his scarf, too busy focusing on the barrel of the gun and how young Dark Gunner’s voice had sounded. Muffled and full of terrifying malice, sure, but young nonetheless.

“Um, well, one, please don’t call me that name, it’s like, super embarrassing. And, uh, two, it’s totally a coincidence I’m here right now. If you think I came for you, that’s definitely not it. I’m just not on my A-Game tonight and ended up wandering a bit too far,” Felix explained, failing to keep his voice steady.

Dark Gunner didn’t respond so Felix kept going.

“Like, I wasn’t expecting to see you at all and was just about to leave so um, if you’ll just let me go, we can put this all behind us.”

When the other vigilante still didn’t respond, Felix felt something snap within him and his fear suddenly vanished. 

He snorted, crossing his arms. “Jeez, if you’re not gonna speak, why’d you come up to me? Not only is it super rude but it also hurts all three of my feelings.”

_ “Felix, did you just call the man holding a gun to your face rude?” _

Felix once again ignored Flex, settling the gunman with his best “disappointed parent” look. 

“Like, seriously, if you’re gonna threaten me, at least give me some good commentary. Being edgy will only get you so far, you know.”

Finally, Dark Gunner lowered his gun, and though his face was too obscured to make out his expression, Felix hoped it was perplexed.

Felix almost jumped out of his skin when the vigilante spoke again, devoid of all the anger from before.

“You think you’re so funny, don’t you? If it wasn’t so amusing to listen to, you’d probably have ended up dead a long time ago.”

With that, Dark Gunner turned sharply on his heel away from Felix and, before disappearing into the night, took the time to say one more thing:

“Oh, and you might want to get out of the area sooner rather than later. It’s about to get a little bit messy nearby.”

And then the gloom of the night swallowed him.

Felix stood there for a minute, his sleep-deprived brain still struggling to keep up.

“Hey, uh, Flex?”

_ “Yeah, Felix?” _

“Did the single scariest person I’ve ever met just call my jokes funny?”

_ “Something like that, yeah.” _

__ Felix let a grin overtake his face as he began his trek home. 

“Hey, maybe the guy’s not so bad. A good sense of humor directly translates to being a good person right?”

_ “Please get some sleep already.” _

~

Four days later, Felix could barely convince himself he’d been held at gunpoint. He could also hardly believe he’d risked his life by mouthing off. However, Flex had berated him enough the next day that it seemed it didn’t matter if he could convince himself or not -- another instance of Felix acting recklessly had cropped up and had once again proven to Flex that Felix would die without him… even though, from what Felix could tell, Flex had done nothing to help him out of the situation.

Nevertheless, the night had ended and the instance was in the past. Tonight was a new night, though spent doing a familiar activity.

He’d asked the warlock to join him once again on his patrol and the duo had run into KeyMaster almost immediately upon setting out. She’d sighed, offered them some drinks, and joined them. When it was nearing midnight, Felix called for a quick break. They were on the west edge of his normal territory and he wanted to stop the group before they all wandered too far into the harbor, not wanting to chance another meeting with the gun-toting vigilante for slight-fear of his life.

He climbed about halfway up a fire escape and sat down, feet dangling over the edge. Their warlock sat beside him, KeyMaster choosing to lean against the railing and face the wall of the building.

“I wonder what this building is used for…” she voiced. “There are so many office-like buildings in this city you begin to want to know more to be able to discern between them.”

Felix nodded. “I’m pretty sure this place has some legs in the tennis ball industry.”

KeyMaster turned to face him. “Really?”

“Nah. I have no clue either.”

“You know you’re not funny, right?”

“Someone out there would beg to differ,” Felix argued back.

“Did your mom tell you that you were a natural-born comedian?” The warlock asked, usually-airy voice tinted with sarcasm.

Felix laughed, leaning his forehead against the railing. “Not you too. This isn’t fair, two-against-one and all.”

“Are you saying you always fight fair?” KeyMaster prodded.

Putting a hand on his heart, Felix gasped overdramatically. “Why, how dare you accuse me of being anything but a perfect gentleman!? I’ll have you know chivalry is the glue that keeps society together.”

The warlock frowned and argued, “Last week, you tripped me with your scarf, yelled “Race ya’!” and took off.”

“You’re faster than I am. A headstart is only fair for me.”

“Sure, Scarfy.”

_ “You’re not gonna object to that nickname?” _ Flex asked.

“Eh, it’s better than Scarfboy,” he responded, somewhat glad it seemed to fit the conversation with the other vigilantes.

He didn’t  _ always _ like looking insane.

KeyMaster scoffed. “Not by much. Honestly, you sound more like a sidekick to a hat-themed superhero than you do a respected vigilante.”

“Why do people keep calling me a sidekick…” Felix groaned before straightening up. “Wait are you saying you respect me?”

“I insinuated that others do, not that I did.”

“Close enough! We did it, Flex! We’re respected!” Felix exclaimed, swinging his legs giddily.

_ “I’m just going to accept the moment of pride instead of ruin it with fact. Congrats.” _

Noticing the look KeyMaster gave him, his smile faltered. 

“Whoops, there I go looking crazy again…”

“Flex is his scarf’s name,” the warlock piped in.

KeyMaster shook her head. “That doesn’t help much.”

The pinkette pouted. “It helps a little though, right?”

“Sure. A little.”

The warlock smiled brightly at that. “Good!”

Felix repressed a chuckle at the warlock’s attitude and turned back to KeyMaster.

“Hey, got any drinks on you tonight? I could use a fix of caffeine,” he asked.

She smirked at him and brought out a can of iced coffee and he didn’t know if the warm and fuzzy feeling that encompassed him was from the fact that she didn’t smile often or from the promise of coffee.

He thanked her and took the can, leaning back a bit so she could pass one to the warlock.

“You know…” he drawled as he opened his can. “If we continue this pattern of drinking coffee in the middle of the night and I continue my own pattern of drinking coffee throughout the day, I’m probably gonna end up with heart problems or something. Or insomnia. Come to think of it, I probably already suffer from self-induced insomnia.”

KeyMaster took a sip. “Yeah, that sounds like a  _ you _ problem. I’m staying out of it.”

Felix leaned over to invade her personal space. “Don’t think you’re getting off so easy. Coffee lovers can sense other coffee lovers. You have a bit of an issue here too.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she denied, leaning away.

“What’s your opinion on tea?” Felix asked.

She stiffened, a foul look taking over her features. “It’s disgusting and anyone who drinks it is an idiot for thinking it’s even palatable!”

Felix and the warlock just stared at her for a moment before she noticed her own outburst. 

“That proves nothing,” she defended herself, pointing at them threateningly.

The boys just nodded slowly.

“Sure, whatever you say,” Felix agreed.

The warlock piped up as well, nervously stuttering out, “I, um, like most drinks so there’s no need to worry about what beverages you bring.”

She nodded in response, tersely facing the wall again.

Felix had just let himself relax when Flex spoke up urgently.

_ “Hey, idiot, rapidly incoming footsteps. Approximately 6 meters below.” _

“Speak American for me, I’m ignorant to other forms of measurement,” he ordered, drawing the attention of the other two vigilantes.

_ “18 feet. Closer now.” _

Nodding, he rose to his feet. 

“Flex says someone’s running up the fire escape towards us,” he explained.

The warlock nodded and rose as well, KeyMaster giving him a worried look.

“Your  _ scarf _ says someone’s coming?” she asked doubtfully.

“Just believe him for now,” the warlock defended. “Maybe he’ll explain it to you later.”

She gave up, rising as well, just in time for the three of them to hear the cocking of a gun.

And Felix suddenly got the feeling he knew who it was.

Quickly, he whipped his scarf from his shoulders and towards the gunman, successfully knocking the gun away. 

The warlock, quick on the uptake as ever, darted toward the fallen weapon, collecting it with a quick swipe of the hand and bouncing back to his spot beside KeyMaster in an instant.

KeyMaster had now brandished her own weapon, staring at the attacker, waiting for another sign of danger but Felix, believing they were probably fine form this point on, wrapped Flex around his neck again.

“Dark Gunner, buddy, long time, no see. What brings a fine guy like you to a place like this? Oh, actually, this is probably nicer than your usual haunts, right?” Felix jested, not feeling bad for the slightly mean tone.

The attacker in question cleared his throat a little, shaking his head.

“If I’d known there was no threat up here, I wouldn’t have come. Three people loitering on the fire escape of building belonging to a somewhat wealthy company is quite suspicious, you know,” he responded, striking Felix once again with how not-an-old-man his voice sounded.

Felix tilted his head. “Yeah, I guess that’s true enough. We were just taking a quick snack break. But I do have a good question for you: Why aren’t you on the West Side of town? That’s the only territory I’ve heard of you operating in.”

KeyMaster piped up from the back, snarking, “He’s very territorial about his city.”

“Shut up, Coffee Addict,” Felix snapped.

“Pretty sure that’s you,” she fired back.

“Um… guys? Can we not fight in front of a guest?” The warlock asked.

Felix chuckled a bit. “Jeez, Batty, it’s not like we live on this fire escape.”

“I’d fucking hope not…” Dark Gunner muttered before straightening up.

“Listen, I just wanted to branch out of my own territory to pursue some… targets,” the gunman explained. “I hadn’t found them yet, though. Certain groups have been fleeing the harbor and going further into the city.”

Felix shared a look with KeyMaster, remembering the gang he’d been fighting when they’d first met.

“Yeah, we’re familiar with that. So, what, you think it’s your fault so you’re taking responsibility?” He asked.

The vigilante scoffed. “Hardly. But I do have something to give to them I really don’t want to hang onto much longer. While we’re on that topic, would you mind giving my gun back? It’s a little bit important for my plans.”

A cold air settled over the trio as the insinuation of the vigilante’s words set in.

The warlock glanced over at Felix, asking for permission with his eyes. Felix sighed and nodded.

Handing the gun back, the warlock gave the gunman a bright smile. “Hey, if you can’t find your targets anyway, you might as well join us on our patrol tonight. I’m pretty sure we still have about ten minutes of break left so if you wanna grab some snacks or something this is actually the perfect chance.”

The other vigilantes all froze in shock, not having expected an invite to be thrown out. Dark Gunner seemed shocked too, not speaking for a solid thirty seconds.

When he did speak, it was almost too quiet to hear against his mask and what he said was even more shocking than the invitation.

The gunman looked away from the warlock and coughed out, “Sure.”

Felix, completely shocked by the fact that the dangerous gunman was apparently going to be hanging out with them that night, just slumped back down, leaning his head back against the railing. 

“Well, my watch says we have nine minutes left so just ask KeyMaster for a drink and settle in,” he suggested, accepting the situation and deciding it was best not to worry. 

KeyMaster remained stiff even as she offered the new vigilante a drink and he remained stoic as he accepted it, though Felix noticed he regarded the coffee with a slight distaste.

He sat against the wall opposite of them as the warlock plopped down next to Felix again, and the four were soon encompassed by an awkward silence.

_ Okay… time to break the ice, _ Felix decided.

“So, uh, Dark Gunner. I have to ask, what’s with the sunglasses? It seems sort of counter-intuitive when your someone who relies on sight,” he inquired.

The vigilante took a moment to reply. “They’re not exactly sunglasses but you don’t see me asking about your scarf or her giant key. Or literally all of the witch dude.”

Felix cracked a small grin. “Witch Dude? I like it. What do you think, Batty, do you like it?”

The pinkette chuckled, shaking his head fondly. “Please never call me that.”

“But we need  _ something _ ! Hell, even  _ I  _ have a name to go by, no matter how bad it is. It’s only fair we’re all represented. Plus, I’m getting tired of referring to you as “the warlock” in my head,” Felix whined.

KeyMaster took a deep sip of her drink and leaned into the conversation. “Oh? And do you have any suggestions, Scarfy?”

Felix took a pensive hand to his chin. “Hmmm… well, even though he likes bats, he’s hardly a man. Plus, I’m pretty sure that would be copyrighted. Hey, can we be sued as vigilantes?”

“Let’s not find out,” KeyMaster decided.

“Good point. Okay, let’s see. I’m not gonna be the only one to suffer here so it has to be cheesy… since his powers bend what my mind deems an acceptable reality, we should incorporate his mystical nature…” Felix mumbled. “Hey, dark and silent over there, any suggestions?”

Dark Gunner shook his head, electing to lower the mask covering his mouth take a sip of his coffee and grimacing at the bitter taste -- or at least that’s what Felix could make out from the guy’s eyebrows furrowing. He quickly pulled the mask back, obviously not wanting to be exposed for long. 

“So you’ll be no help, got it. Could have told me that ahead of time, thanks,” Felix remarked.

Dark Gunner shrugged and coughed a little. 

The warlock chimed back in. “Hey, shouldn’t I have a say in all this?”

“Nope!” Felix grinned. “Okay, bats and magic… magic and bats… Magic Bat? It’s a little underwhelming, but then again, so is he.”

“Hey! That’s pretty rude,” the warlock protested.

“No complaints to the name, though. All others for it, say “aye”.”

Both KeyMaster and Dark Gunner gave the affirmative, leaving their warlock pouting.

“You guys are horrible,” the newly-christened Magic Bat sulked.

“Your thanks to us has been accepted. C’mon, you’ve officially joined me in the bad names club! It’s full of nicknames and shudders from here on out, my friend,” Felix announced, slinging an arm over the other vigilante’s shoulder.

Another cough came from Dark Gunner, peaking Felix’s attention.

“Hey, buddy, you got a cold or something?” He asked.

Dark Gunner jolted slightly. “Oh, no, I just… the mask is hard to breathe in?”

Felix narrowed his eyes. “Ya’ know, any answer phrased in a question is usually a lie. I would know, I do it all the time.”

Dark Gunner coughed a little again and Felix noticed how forced it sounded.

“Wait…” he realized. “Are you… Are you trying not to laugh?”

The “no” came far too hastily.

Felix’s grin stretched maniacally across his face. “Aw, no need to feel embarrassed about it. I  _ am _ the funniest person here after all. You said yourself I was amusing last time we saw each other, so apparently, even scary people can appreciate my humor. Maybe my humor is just that transcendent!”

KeyMaster scoffed. “That’s definitely not it. If anything, it just means you  _ both _ have a bad sense of humor.

Magic Bat cut that conversation thread off. “Hey, wait, did you say you’d met before?”

Felix nodded. “Yeah, he held me at gunpoint a few nights ago. He has a bit of a bad habit of that.”

Both KeyMaster and Magic Bat turned accusatory looks towards Dark Gunner.

He slumped, grumbling, “I didn’t shoot him even though he was in my territory acting suspicious. I’d consider that extraordinary self-control.”

Felix nodded. “See? Totally understandable!”

“Really!?” KeyMaster interjected. “That’s enough of an excuse?”

“Hey, guy appreciates my jokes, I’m not driving him off,” Felix defended.

The teen quickly glanced at his watch, jumping up as he saw the time. 

“Okay, peasants, time to hit the town!” He announced, offering a hand to Magic Bat.

KeyMaster groaned as she stood up. “Great, now he has an excuse to tell his jokes.”

“You bet I do. Now let’s go.”

~

Three hours later, Felix was once again left shell-shocked. The groups had parted slightly earlier than he normally would have but the night had still been chock-full of fun for him. Like, too much fun? When you’ve been held at gunpoint by a third of your group, you’d figure things wouldn’t exactly be “fun”. But either you’d be wrong or Felix had found himself in one hell of an exception.

There had only been a few instances of stopping crime and not much fighting had been done -- most petty thieves ran once they saw a group of four challenging them.

He did, however, get a better sense of Dark Gunner’s personality and all of his initial worries had been damn-near confirmed: The guy sounded young, acted young, and moved young. Basically, there was no way he was more than twenty-five years old. Felix didn’t know much about guns or how war changed the mindset of people but he’d be willing to bet an ease at killing was typically unnatural for someone so young.

Outside of the disturbing implications, Felix had found that the other vigilante really wasn’t as scary and dangerous as he’d thought -- well, he  _ was _ , but he was also someone who laughed at stupid jokes and just that honestly made it a lot easier to talk to him. He’d also insisted on stopping by a vending machine at one point in order to buy an energy drink, explaining it was his drink of choice.

Their warlock adjusted to being called “Magic Bat” shockingly quick -- Felix had half meant it as a joke but now also felt a bit of pride knowing it would likely stick. However, the fact that it was helped by KeyMaster saying the nickname “Batty” fit the scarf-clad vigilante better sort of dampened his joy.

Felix was still mulling the night over as he climbed in through his bedroom window, quickly changing out of his clothes and tossing them under the loose floorboard in his closet. Flex had called out a quick goodnight to him but he hadn’t responded, too tired to care about manners.

He didn’t fall asleep for a while longer, mind still occupied with the events of the night. He came up with the conclusion that he shouldn’t ponder Dark Gunner’s age too much -- none of them seemed older than their mid-twenties, after all. Magic Bat had to be a university student so he was probably between eighteen and twenty-two. Felix himself was only fifteen and he wouldn’t be at all surprised if he was the youngest. KeyMaster held herself in such a composed manner it was obvious she’d had a lot of time to practice so she was likely an adult.

None of this situation made sense, really. Felix had always known how odd it was that he was in a position to fight crime in the first place but he’d always chosen to ignore it. To shove it back, repress it, not think about it. If he thought about it, he’d want to figure it out, and something deep inside of him didn’t want to figure it out. It wasn’t something he could explain, it wasn’t something he  _ wanted  _ to explain, it just was. And he had no clue how to control it.

Eventually, he let that deep feeling take over, clearing his mind of all his worries and taking him into a well-deserved night -- early morning -- of sleep.


	9. [When One Door Closes, Get Sappy]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Felix actually attempts to be social.

July ended. Well, all months end, but July fading into August sent a clear message to Felix: Summer was drawing to a close and he’d really not done much with it. Well, _Scarfboy_ had done a lot with it so maybe it balanced out a bit?

Whether or not it did, it didn’t matter, because Felix could feel summer dying on him faster than he wanted it to go.

Another sign summer was nearing an end was the fact that Brody had come back from vacation. He hadn’t even texted Felix about it, just shown up at his house and made himself at home until Felix got back from his midday coffee run.

And wow, Brody was a sight for sore eyes.

“Dude, I missed you so much. But the trip was super fun! The food, in particular, was amazing but maybe we only went to the places with the good food,” Brody raved, taking Felix’s desk chair for himself and giving it a quick spin.

Felix smiled at his friend, plopping down on the floor beside his bed and sipping the second cup of coffee he’d gotten from _Popchester’s_ to take home.

Brody continued on. “But oh man, I’ve missed _so much_! I tried to keep up with the fan-sites but we didn’t have good WiFi at the hotel and we were so busy during the day. Did you hear that the warlock of Havenden has a name like the other vigilantes now? Magic Bat. Apparently, he told the university paper to call him that and they just ran with it. It’s a pretty basic name but it totally fits! And what’s more, Scarfboy, Magic Bat, and KeyMaster have all been seen together! Do you think they’re good friends? What if they all know each other in real life? How are you not as excited as I am about this!?”

Chuckling at his friend’s antics, Felix shrugged his shoulders. “You get used to the stuff in this city after a while. It’s not too surprising anymore. Plus, sometimes it hardly feels real to me. I never leave the house so it’s not like I have a huge issue with being mugged and thus need to be saved. I’ve never seen them.”

“I know you like Scarfboy, though. Remember, I’ve seen your notebook,” Brody pointed out, tapping a stray one on the desk.

Felix tried not to cringe at the name. “Okay, well, I am a teenage boy. As my mom said, _of course_ stuff like this excites me. But I’m still not that focused on it. I’m pretty busy being a nerd.”

Brody gave him a critical look. “You _are_ pretty pale. You should really get out of the house more.”

“I go to _Popchester’s_ all the time!” Felix protested.

“Only to sit inside and trade bad jokes with Ross.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I could never tell a bad joke.”

Brody rose an eyebrow. “Whatever you say, buddy. But anyway, this is more important than your health--”

“Rude.”

“--because you’ve heard of Dark Gunner, right? The West Side’s vigilante? There’s speculation that he’s targeting the Hell’s Harbor gang.”

Felix froze up, almost dropping his coffee. “Really? How do they know?”

“Well, he’s been seen taking them down a lot recently but the real kicker is how he follows them deeper into the city. Like, they’re either fleeing or trying to find him as well. People are pretty concerned about it, actually. He seems to be getting rid of them, though, so most say he’s doing more good than harm,” Brody explained.

Felix sighed, having known something like this would crop up eventually. At least Brody hadn’t mentioned the hacker group -- some things were still contained.

“Also!” Brody continued. “The girl who captured video of Scarfboy at Havenden University finally gave a statement about why she wouldn’t share it.”

Felix frowned, recalling the incident. “Well? Spill.”

Brody grinned, almost rivaling the grin Felix wore as his vigilante self. “Apparently he did something embarrassing and asked her not to share the footage for his own pride.”

_Well, it sucks to know that’s out there but it could be worse. She could have just shared the footage,_ Felix reasoned with himself.

“Did she make any other statements?” he asked.

Brody shook his head. “Nope. Nothing. All the articles about it make it very clear she doesn’t want to say anything. Jade Grant remains silent. That’s actually the title of one of the articles I read.”

Felix almost let himself relax before noticing the irritated expression on Brody’s face. “What’s wrong?”  
  
“Oh, uh, just… I just remembered another article I read,” Brody said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It was about the police and how they’re treating the whole vigilante situation. They’re really against them, even though these people are helping so many others.”

Felix laughed awkwardly, unable to quell the inner doubt. “Well... I guess it’s easy enough to understand? Vigilantes are technically committing a crime, no matter how much good they do.”

“Still! Trying to track them down is way too much. It’s absolutely ridiculous!” Brody grit his teeth, standing up and ever-so-slightly-overdramatically walking over to the window. Felix had a mini panic attack when he realized Brody may question why he didn’t have a screen outside his window but felt a wave of relief when his friend just continued talking. 

“I just… these people are _protecting_ us, the police should be grateful to _some_ extent!”

Felix shrugged, getting up off the floor himself and leaning against the wall beside his window. “I dunno, I’m sure some are _personally_ grateful but it’s a pretty clear-cut law. And cops are gonna do their job if they wanna get paid, even if it’s not right.”

Brody sent him a critical glare. “And since when does Felix J. Cooper respect the laws set by authority?”

Felix fake-gasped. “I’ll have you know I’ve always been a good kid! I do my homework, don’t eat in class unlike _some_ people, and have never been to detention.”

“Your math notebook is full of poorly-drawn doodles of a scarf themed superhero.”

“I wouldn’t say he’s _scarf themed_ …” Felix muttered before continuing on. “I'll have you know, in fact, that I was on the honor roll all through elementary.”

“What elementary school did you go to again?” Brody suddenly asked.

Felix, caught off guard, found himself genuinely not being able to answer properly. “Uhh… it’s out of state, you wouldn’t know it. I’m the new kid on the block, remember?”

Brody shrugged, turning back to look at the city in the distance. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Sometimes it feels like I’ve known you longer than I have. Like, has it really only been since we came back from winter break that I’ve known you?”

The brunette smiled, nodding along. “I know what you mean. Time moves fast but it also moves slow. At some point, you just gotta give up and say that it moves, speed of it be damned.”

His friend chuckled. “Who said you could get deep all of a sudden?”

“Just the little voice inside my head,” Felix joked, tapping his temple for effect.

“Ya’ know, Felix, I do wonder sometimes…”

“Hey! Shut up,” Felix laughed.

  
  


* * *

The idea was risky. The idea was dangerous. He half expected it to go wrong and give him an injury he wouldn’t be able to hide or something. But still, the idea was _perfect_.

Sometime after Brody’s mom called the house demanding he come home -- apparently, he hadn’t gotten permission to go over, big shock -- Felix had decided to once again indulge in his bad decision making. 

Okay, well, he _did_ have a plan, no matter what Flex may have argued. He wasn’t just going off the rails here, he swears. 

July ended. Summer soon would, too. Felix had to take advantage of how much free time he had or else it would all be for naught in his eyes. He had to have done enough activity to fill the time.

Which is the main reason why, before dark fell on August 3rd, he took off from his house, changed somewhere deep in the city, and scouted out the other vigilantes.

His parents were both gone at work, so while he didn’t have to be worried about them wondering why he wasn’t at home, he did take caution when he got to Havenden University. He waited around in the belltower for about 35 minutes before Magic Bat showed up, visibly shocked at how early in the day it was for the scarf-clad vigilante to come around.

Felix immediately explained he wanted to plan a group patrol. The warlock seemed slightly wary of the idea but smiled and agreed nonetheless. 

Felix took off to find Dark Gunner next. Instead, though, Dark Gunner seemed to immediately find him, explaining he’d been getting some information from an acquaintance. Felix noted how close they were to Deathwish’s usual hideout and took note to check up on his friend later. 

He pitched the plan to Dark Gunner -- who didn’t remove his hand from his gun until Felix joked about how he looked like a cowboy in an old Western right before noon -- and didn’t fully relax until the gunman gave a nod to show up at the given location and time and took off.

KeyMaster, he thought, would be the hardest to find, but just as it started to get dark and Felix was taking a break to chat with Flex, the vigilante popped up. She gave him some questioning glances regarding the fact he was talking to his scarf again but accepted to meet with him later on in the night.

And, from then on, Felix considered himself set, but just to be sure, he settled down in an alley with Flex to set some ground rules.

“Okay, first of all, don’t distract me mid-conversation. Explaining a talking scarf to people who can’t hear it only works if the person you’re explaining it to is a naive, pure type of person, not a girl who scoffs at me all the time or a guy with a gun and a bit of a killing streak,” Felix dictated.

_“Got it,”_ Flex replied. _“Interrupt you at every turn.”_

“Second, I really like the way you warn me about people coming towards me but you could honestly stand to do it a bit more.”

_“I’ll cut it out. On it.”_

“Third, if we get into any fights tonight, maybe try to make me look cool when I whip you around? I try really hard but we have people to impress tonight.”

_“I can’t wait to flop around like an idiot.”_

“And fourth, and this is the biggie, okay? I give you complete permission to get sassy and snappy if I actually act stupid. Don’t let me kill myself via building falls, antagonizing the gunman, losing the half-friendship of KeyMaster and thus losing my caffeine supply. You’re on Felix-protection-duty tonight. Agreed?”

_“I’m glad you’ve finally understood how stupid you can be.”_

“Well, you said I _can be_ stupid, not that I am, so I’m assuming you’re of agreeance. Let’s do this, my friend,” Felix sighed in relief, giving his scarf a little twirl for all its sass.

_“I have to admit, this might actually be an entertaining evening to watch transpire.”_

“Don’t make assumptions. Anything can still happen.”

* * *

  
  


Felix had given the same location to all of the vigilantes: The roof of a shopping complex not far away from _Popchester’s_ , basically meaning it was close to the center of the city. Felix got there a little bit early, about fifteen minutes before nine o’clock. 

Magic Bat arrived a few minutes early.

“Hey, Scarfy! Long time no see,” the warlock smiled, clearly proud of himself despite the mildness of the joke.

Felix grinned right on back anyway. “Welcome back to the cool kids club, Batty.”

_“Kill me now,”_ Flex groaned.

“Remember our rules, Flex. Batty, how’s your day been so far?”

Magic Bat smiled even brighter, sitting down next to Felix as he began talking avidly. “It’s been kinda crazy, actually. When you showed up on campus, I was in the middle of an insane lecture and after that, I had to work on a group project so I kinda had to rush around a bit there.”

“Sorry about that.”

“No problem. Anyway, that project. I won’t bore you with the details but we’re supposed to do a map of the human brain and all that jazz. It would’ve gone by so much faster if my teammates had listened to my suggestions even like, once, ya’ know? Like, how to plot the board out or which specific parts to draw attention to where. They restarted about three times until they finally came up with what I’d said earlier on their own. It was super frustrating.”

Felix eyed the guy confusedly. “Why are you smiling while talking about it, then?”

Magic Bat shrugged. “After that, we got a huge portion done. So, like, even though they didn’t give credit to me for the plotting of it, they still sorta took my advice and it worked great. It’s a confidence boost, I’m sure _you_ know how nice it feels to feels to have your ego fed.”

The scarf-clad vigilante shot him a concerned look but nodded nonetheless. He was about to agree to save his own understanding of the situation when something struck him.

“Hey, wait up, mapping a brain. Are you a science nerd?” Felix asked.

The warlock shrugged. “A little. Not my big passion, though. Mostly a literature guy. But stuff like medical science is pretty cool. I probably would’ve gone into the medical field if I couldn’t follow my actual goal.”

Felix sighed. “A little bit of a nerd is better than not being a nerd. I’ll take it but you’re gonna have to stretch your interests a bit. I’m more of an astrophysics guy, myself.”

“Nice to know,” a female voice joined in, attached to the figure bounding over the edge of the roof. “Astrophysics is a pretty advanced field, though. You sure your brain can handle it?”

Felix checked his watch, chuckling as he noticed it was nine on the dot. 

Looking up at the new arrival, he had to at least appreciate KeyMaster’s punctuality, if nothing else. “I don’t think _I’m_ the one we have to be worried about but I’ll give you points for trying to be funny. I can tell it doesn’t come to you naturally.”

KeyMaster scoffed, kneeling down in front of the boys, passing them cans of soda.

Felix scrunched up his nose. “What happened to my precious coffee?”

“The machine I normally go to was out… probably because of me, and I was in a rush. I’ll pick more up later, but for now, be glad it isn’t tea,” she explained.

Felix shrugged. “You make a good point.”

Magic Bat elbowed him lightly, then turned a smile over to KeyMaster. “Thank you.”

KeyMaster turned an amused smirk to Felix. “Yeah, Scarfy, what do we say when people do nice things for us?”

“Ugh… _thank you_ ,” Felix muttered.

“Well, I have no clue what just happened but I’ll take one of those cans of early death,” another voice popped in from nowhere, giving the trio a jump.

Dark Gunner was standing at the far corner of the roof, half engulfed in shadows. Felix had to remind himself that this was a guy with as dorky a sense of humor as him in order to slow his heart rate down from “Heart Attack” levels to a milder “Vaguely Terrified”.

KeyMaster, after recovering from her own shock, nodded and threw him a can which he caught with ease. 

Magic Bat stayed struck still for a few more moments, then his face turned to confusion. “Wait, how did you _not_ set off one of my cards? I have them around this building’s perimeter.”

Dark Gunner tilted his head, approaching the trio. “Cards?”

The warlock smiled. “Every magician has a few tricks. I’ve explained my abilities to Scarfy over here but I guess I haven’t shared with you guys. Come to think about it, you got past my cards a few nights ago as well. Weird, I know they’re working.”

Felix rose a brow. “You set your cards up every place we stop for break and yet they also never notify you of our stalker?”

“I’m not a stalker!” KeyMaster huffed.

Felix ignored her, focusing on their warlock’s pensive face. 

“Huh, I guess she’s gotten past them too. Weird, they always notify me when you’re in the vicinity, Scarfboy,” the pinkette mused.

Felix groaned. “Please don’t--”

“Call you that, I know, sorry. It just slips sometimes. Anyway, I guess these two are just sneakier than you are.”

Felix pouted, giving a playful glare to the other two vigilantes. “Where’s the value in stealth, anyway?”

He could see a blonde eyebrow raise above Dark Gunner’s glasses. “It’s one of the most important things in crime-fighting.”

“Obviously none of you have any flair,” Felix argued back. 

“She carries a giant key around and your magic friend is, ya’ know, magic. In fact, you probably have the least flair,” Dark Gunner pointed out.

Felix grinned. “I still have more than you and I’ll take that as a win.”

A chuckle escaped from Dark Gunner’s direction, though Felix couldn’t actually see much proof it was from Dark Gunner other than the slight shake of his shoulders.

KeyMaster cleared her throat, checking her watch quickly. “Anyway, business. Scarfy, I know you asked if we could all patrol together but the truth is I started early today for a reason. There’s a little something I sorta need to look into involving business dealing on the East Side so I can always join back up with the group later on.”

Felix felt his throat constrict a little. “Oh, well, yeah, that’s fine.” 

Dark Gunner nodded along. “If that’s the case, I’ll duck out for a few hours as well. There’s a group I have reason to believe is meeting up tonight and they need a good disbanding.”

Felix turned to look at Magic Bat who simply shrugged. “I took study time off. It’s either this or watching anime all night. I’m all yours.”

“Just the way I like it. Well, uh, think you guys will be done by midnight?” Felix asked, anxiously checking his watch. 

KeyMaster gave a moment to think about it then nodded. Dark Gunner shrugged and muttered, “I’ll try.”

Felix sighed, standing up and extending a hand to Magic Bat. The pair waved the other vigilantes off and then set out to patrol the upper side of the city, stopping only once or twice to intimidate a suspicious lurker in an alley and once for Felix to scoff at a Starbucks.

Time flew by relatively quickly but Felix was still constantly worried about what the other vigilantes were getting up to. He hoped KeyMaster wasn’t snooping somewhere dangerous… and he didn’t even want to think about what Dark Gunner might be up to.

By the time they noticed they should start heading to their meeting spot, Felix insisted on taking a detour.

They ended up in the alleyway beside a large hotel building, one Felix clearly remembered from the beginning of the summer.

“Psst, Batty. Wanna know a secret?”

“What?”  
  


“At the start of summer, I fell off this building.”

Magic Bat blanched, showing Felix a look of horror. “What!? From how high up?”

Felix grinned. “The roof.”

The warlock just stood stock still for a moment before sighing. “That’s just like you… I thought I told you to take care of yourself.”

“This happened before I met you.”

“And you’ve tried to stay out of trouble since then?” Magic Bat asked hopefully.

“I may have stalked Dark Gunner one night before properly introducing myself. If he’d seen me, I’d probably look like Swiss cheese right about now,” Felix admitted.

“Jesus, dude.”

“I’ve actually been held at gunpoint a lot this summer. Most of the first few times I ran into KeyMaster were also pretty dangerous.”

“Anything else about this death wish you apparently have that you want to share?”

Felix laughed to himself. “Yeah, I constantly visit a dangerous info broker named Deathwish on the East Side.”

Magic Bat kept staring at Felix in shock. “Why are you unloading all of this?”

Felix let himself grin widely then. “It’s a nice night at the end of summer and I’m with a friend. What better time for reflection is there?”

The warlock finally smiled a little. “You’re really something, Scarfy. The most dangerous thing I’ve done this summer was decide to do the year-long program.”

“It is a pretty dumb idea, yeah. I, for one, value summer enough to try and enjoy it.”

“And all this danger? You enjoyed it?” The warlock asked.

Felix hummed for a moment, considering the question. “Maybe… just maybe.”

Cutting the topic off, Felix shook his head and turned away from his friend. “But anyway, we should get headed back.”

When they arrived back, Dark Gunner was waiting for them. The mask on the lower half of his face was completely off, a bag of sour gummy worms being lazily munched on as he scrolled down some app on his phone.

When he noticed he had company, he immediately hid the bottom of his face behind his hands.

“Chill, dude,” Felix reassured the other vigilante, sitting down cross-legged a few feet away from him. “No need to freak out about the small stuff, it’s just us. Have you seen KeyMaster yet?”  
  


Dark Gunner sat stiffly for a moment before slowly relaxing. 

“No,” he replied, reaching for his mask on the ground beside him. “I only got here about twenty minutes ago. Finished stuff up a bit earlier than expected but that’s not really an issue. That girl seems strong enough to hold her own so she’ll probably be back before you know it.”

Felix gave a light chuckle. “Yeah, there’s probably no reason to worry about her… unless someone pulls out a ranged weapon… but yeah, she should be fine!”

Magic Bat plopped down next to Dark Gunner and Felix held back his laugh at the slight jump it gave the gunman. “Scarfy, have you seen KeyMaster struggle with range?”

Felix nodded. “It was just once. I don’t know if she could have actually dealt with it on her own but she was pretty occupied so I figure my joining in the fight didn’t really _hurt_. Plus, it’s easy to assume she’s close-range only with her primary fighting style revolving around a giant melee weapon.”

Dark Gunner nodded. “Fair enough. But weapon doesn’t mean everything. I use a gun but I can still make it work at close range.”

Felix snorted. “Yeah, believe me, I know.”

The gunman cleared his throat. “So, uh, what did you two get up to?”

Magic Bat grimaced, jutting his thumb at Felix. “Apparently, Scarfy over here had almost died on multiple occasions this summer. He fell off a freaking building for Pete’s sake.”

_“God… “freaking”? “Pete’s sake”? How adorable is that?”_ Flex joked.

Felix ignored his scarf. “Look, I’ve already defended myself on this matter, I won’t do so again.”

Dark Gunner scoffed. “Honestly I’d be surprised if the guy hadn’t gotten himself almost killed more than once. Not only is it in the job description; it’s just the type of guy he is.”

“I’m right here, you know?”

Magic Bat smiled warmly. “Yeah, he is a bit of a clutz. He was hiding in an observatory in the college when I met him.”

“Am I dead? Am I a ghost and you just can’t hear me?”

The gunman whistled. “Shame the accident happened. Sometimes, I can still hear his voice.”

And then they were laughing. Three vigilantes, sitting on a roof, laughing like idiots at their own sense of humor. Felix could hardly even fathom why he was laughing so much when he was the one being made fun of but he just couldn’t help himself. 

It took him a full minute to realize that _Dark Gunner_ was _laughing._ Outright laughing, loud and clear. Felix himself went quiet just to listen to it. It was such a foreign and yet intriguing sound, let out mostly in harsh “k’s” in contrast to Magic Bat’s bubbly hiccups.

A new voice broke in, cutting their laugher off. “What did I just walk into?”

The warlock pouted, picking up the conversation before Felix and Dark Gunner could recover from the new arrival. “Not one of my cards, apparently. I took so much trouble making sure they got every angle, too.”

KeyMaster shrugged. “Maybe you’re not thinking about the right angles.”

She glanced around then, assuredly nodding her head. “Okay, so let’s head out.”

Felix rose an eyebrow, not arguing as he got up off the ground. “Everything went well, I’m assuming?”

“To a workable degree. Subterfuge isn’t exactly my specialty so some security guards may be waking up with the impression they fell asleep on the job soon but I don’t think I’ll be suspected. Plus, I got a good amount of info.”

Magic Bat jumped up, extending a hand to Dark Gunner who hesitated before accepting.

“Well, then!” He smiled. “Where to?”

Felix clapped the warlock on the shoulder. “Well, I’ve been missing my center city, so let’s go see what’s going on in the heart of town.”

“Sure. I haven’t been there in a while so it’ll be good to check up on what you’ve likely mishandled.”

“Not my usual area but fair enough.”

“Great! Let’s go!”

Felix smiled at the other three’s replies for a moment before turning to lead the way.

* * *

  
  


About an hour later, the three we still prowling around the center of Newcoast City, interrupting the casual suspicious loiterer and advising the odd easy-target to get somewhere safer every now and then. The group usually sent Felix in to talk to people like the latter, him being the best known and thus the least likely to give someone a scare. Dark Gunner, meanwhile, was deemed the most purely intimidating with the least confrontational factor to him if he just kept to a script for when they needed to spook someone off without causing a fuss.

He usually added a few more violent alterations to the script, but that was beside the point.

Honestly, they didn’t run into any real ruckus until Flex picked up on sounds out-of-earshot from the crew.

_“Felix, some strange sounds are coming from your left. Down the street a bit, I’d have to guess from the central park.”_

Flex paused halfway through his sip, gulping down what he already had real quick and grunting. 

“Trouble in park. Flex said so.”

Dark Gunner frowned. “And who’s Flex?”

KeyMaster brushed him off. “I’d like to know as well but it’s a question for another time. Let’s go.”

Felix nodded, turning to Magic Bat. “Can you send a card ahead of us to scout out the situation? That way, we have at least some time to prepare.”

“Sure, one sec,” the warlock summoned his cards and Felix could once again only stare as his friend sent a diamond card whizzing off, keeping another one floating in front of him. 

In no time, an image manifested itself on the face of the card, clearly showing a group of somewhat violent looking men loitering and throwing cans around.

Felix sighed. “Just a bunch of trespassers. We can start by calmly telling them they shouldn’t be there and if they don’t leave we’ll bring in KeyMaster for the intimidation factor. Batty, I want you to keep surveillance of the perimeter and alert us of any changes. Dark Gunner, keep watch from farther off, make sure nothing goes bad for us, but try to be tactful about it. We all good?

KeyMaster rose an eyebrow. “Is there any Plan B in case one of us gets seriously injured?”

“There would be but I’m both an optimist and in a hurry, so I’m just gonna say you improvise.”

KeyMaster smirked. “Fine by me.”

Felix rolled his eyes, running for the park as fast as he could, trusting everyone else would manage their own way. 

The park nestled in the middle of Newcoast City wasn’t one of his favorite places to go. Not that it was unpleasant typically, but he usually only ventured as far as _Popchester’s_ , and the park was somewhat more north in the city than he would consider his civilian self’s stomping ground. It wasn’t particularly small, but it was still big enough that you usually couldn’t see the street on the other side of it. It was also located across the street from a _Starbucks_ , so there was really never a reason for him to visit. As a vigilante, it had made several appearances on his patrols, mostly with just a few people disobeying the closing hours. 

The scene he was met with as the park was somewhat more intimidating than he’d expected. He really should’ve taken note of it earlier, but the men seemed to be somewhat drunk in places. Which meant they may not react the best to his casual introduction, but it was too late to change things up now.

Cautiously, he crept up behind the group, using a tree for cover once he got close enough to hear them clearly. Their conversation wasn’t extremely interesting to Felix, mostly just slurred insults to one another and vague threats to unnamed people.

After a particularly nasty regard about the mayor popped out from one of them, Felix decided to introduce himself.

“Hey, fellas!” He called out, stepping out from his hiding place. “You probably already got the memo, but it’s pretty late already. If you wanna get drunk, there are plenty of bars in town.”

He dodged a rock thrown his way.

_“That’s not a good sign,”_ Flex groaned.

“Shut up, I’m doing great,” Felix whispered.

One of the men in the group stepped forward. “Hey, I’ve heard about this guy. He’s been causing a lot of trouble for our friends lately.”

_“Felix? He said he has friends. Doesn’t that infer to you--”_

“Yes, I’m aware. Hopefully, he’s not meaning what we’re thinking,” Felix whispered, hushing his scarf up best he could.

He turned his attention back to the man. The dude didn’t look particularly outstanding, nothing that would draw too much attention to him. He also couldn’t have been over twenty-five years old, even if his attitude was worse than most old drunks Felix had ever met.

Clearing his throat, Felix spoke up again. “That may be true, but it’s my responsibility to make sure people don’t cause trouble. So, if we could do this nicely and be out of here soon, I think it’d be the best option for all of us.”

The man lurched forward, a few of his buddies following the movement. 

“Really?” The guy hissed. “‘Cause I think a different perfect opportunity has made its way to us.”

Felix easily dodged the first punch, sweeping his leg beneath the man’s and tripping him over. For a moment, he even forgot he was supposed to have backup until the next man who threw a fist his way was met with the hammer end of a giant key.

Felix smirked. “Bit late?”

KeyMaster scoffed at him. “You’re unnaturally fast. I only just got here and you’re already making a mess.”

She caught a can thrown at her head, hurling it right back and nailing a guy between the eyes.

Felix let a grin take over his face when he heard the sting of curse words that followed.

“Since when do you two work together?” One of the men in the crowd yelled.

“Since I became just a bit too desperate for coffee,” Felix responded. “Listen, guys, we can all just end this here.”

He caught the next fist before it hit his face. 

“Or not,” he added and threw a punch right on back.

When he’d arrived, he’d estimated there to be maybe fifteen guys hanging around, but quickly the numbers seemed more overwhelming than that.

In between exchanging blows, the first people to have been knocked down easily back on their feet by now, Felix felt something light hit his hand and saw one of the warlock’s cards.

On it was the projected image of a wall with a hastily scribbled: **Couldn’t hold everyone back. Dark Gunner took up sniping.**

_Oh, god, please don’t have him kill anyone in front of me. I am SO not ready for that,_ Felix worried, quickly passing KeyMaster the note before whipping Flex off from around his shoulders.

Quickly swatting a guy in the face, he took a sharp eye to those loitering in the background. Not everyone was engaging in the fight, in fact, quite a few of them were simply cheering on from the sidelines. Felix was still wary though because with mounting suspicions as to the threat these men posed, he wouldn’t be surprised if one of them pulled out a gun.

As it was, though, he had no way to quickly and decisively end the brawl. For now, they’d just have to tough it out.

KeyMaster was doing well and had knocked out a few people for good. Felix had barely managed to bring more than a few guys to the ground, let alone keep them there. 

One of the punches thrown at him managed to land, taking him by surprise and freezing him up for a moment. 

A moment was all it took, though, because his opponent took the opportunity to pull out a knife. Felix hardly even processed the sight of it.

Before it could begin moving toward him, though, a loud “Bang!” rang out and his opponent yelled, grabbing onto his hand which had become glazed with blood. The knife was quickly forgotten on the floor and Felix only had a moment to process that Dark Gunner must have shot the knife out of the man’s hand before he was back in the fray.

From that point, he didn’t worry as much about someone pulling out a weapon.

Dark Gunner only shot two more times, both at weapons, which Felix was grateful for. As the fight began to wane, though, the physical toll began to show itself.

“Key-Club!” He called out, quickly kicking someone out of punching range. “How’re you holding up?”

She swooped her key behind her, hitting a man in the chest, before replying, “Just fine. Why? You getting tired so soon?”

Felix rolled his eyes, ducking a stray rock and elbowing a gut while he was at it. “No chance! Just, you know, might wanna consider ending this soon to save time!”

She scoffed as she pivoted away from a strike. “Any suggestions?”

He paused for a second before grinning. “Just one. Hold them off for a second?”

“Sure, just leave me with all the hard work.”

“Well, we don’t keep you around for your stellar attitude.”

Felix was already up a tree before she could fire back.

He carefully scouted the area before locating one of the men KeyMaster had knocked out, having been pulled aside to make room for the brawl. 

He quickly used Flex to lower himself down to the man, fishing around in the pockets until he pulled out a phone, and climbed back up.

His last ditch plan, as per usual, was calling 911. 

“Hey, yeah, resident vigilante here. Big brawl with possible gang members. They have knives and so far there’ve been three gunshots. Center Walk Park. Please arrive soon.”

And that was all he gave before tossing the phone back to the ground.

_“You think they’ll come?”_

“I mean, they probably got a call about gunshots already. If not, well, they really want to catch me, so even if they can’t verify the call, they’ll probably test their luck anyway. Which means we need to scram before we hear the sirens,” Felix explained.

He jumped back onto the ground, specifically onto someone’s head right before they took a swing at KeyMaster. At least that was one more down.

“Police should be here soon,” he told her, making his voice loud enough for the attackers around them to hear. 

A few of the people facing them off stopped in their tracks at the announcement, faces frozen with fear of being caught, but most took back to running at the duo soon enough.

Felix, feeling pressed for time, tried to land harder punches to knock his opponents out, but ended up overshooting a swing. For a terrifying moment, he felt himself lose his balance.

Just before he fully tripped, a hand caught the collar of his shirt and yanked him back into a standing position. Felix expected it to be an attacker but a quick glance behind him brought Magic Bat into focus.

“Batty? Why are you in the fray?”

“You obviously needed reinforcements,” his friend gently explained, quickly pulling Felix away from a stray punch. 

Felix surveyed the location and found that only about seven people were still fighting, many left on the ground or having retreated to the side. Over half of them were focused on KeyMaster.

The vigilante grinned. “You may be right. Go ahead and take some pressure off the coffee-bringer, will ya’?”

Magic Bat smiled and was over at KeyMaster’s side in barely any time. Felix couldn’t focus on him too much but picked up on two new pieces of information: Magic Bat’s cards could definitely be used for combat as well and their warlock was just a bit of a sneaky little shit.

As Felix used his scarf to disorient an opponent, he noticed the warlock sliding in between someone’s legs to get a clean hit on the back of their head. The next glance Felix got, he noticed several cards linking one man’s hands together and bringing them to the ground.

_“Since when can the kid do that?!”_ Flex asked.

Felix shrugged, turning the motion into a backhanded slap. “Dunno. He did say they had other purposes.”

The man in front of him paused for a second, confusedly staring at Felix for speaking so out of context and was quickly rewarded with a solid punch to the nose.

Felix pouted when he saw his gloves. “Damn, now they’re all bloody!”

_“They’re black.”_

“Shut up.”

“Hey!” Dark Gunner’s voice interrupted, pausing all motion in the fight.

Felix whipped around to see the gunman leaning against a tree, gun firmly aimed towards the man Felix had just punched. 

“We’re gonna have company real soon. As much as I hate to leave these scumbags to the mercy of the police, I’d rather not get caught up myself,” he announced.

Felix too, now, could hear the sirens approaching, so he turned a cheerful grin to his opponents. 

“You all heard the scary man! Time’s up here. See you all later, or, well, I’d actually rather not, but you get the point,” he joked, taking one last kick to the man in front of him, hoping the blow would keep him down.

Overall, three men were still looking for a fight, but the numerous men left to the sides were more than enough to prove some fight had happened here. Felix figured their work was done well enough.

He signaled to KeyMaster to retreat first, sirens growing ever louder, and she made a show of grabbing him by the collar and dragging him away. Magic Bat followed them quickly, Dark Gunner maintaining his aim on the group until it was safe for him to retreat as well.

The four only managed to get to an alley a block or so away before they collapsed from exhaustion.

They were all silent for a few moments, huddled in the darkness with caution not to get caught by any passersby, catching their breath and settling their adrenaline.

Eventually, KeyMaster reached into her bag and pulled out more coffee, and, though he knew it was too dehydrating to really help right then, Felix accepted a can with open arms.

Soon enough, he broke the silence. 

“I’ll be the first to admit, I thought that would be a lot easier.”

“Really?” KeyMaster asked. “I was expecting a bit more hassle to deal with. You didn’t even have a gun pulled out on you, that’s super rare.”

“Oh, shut it.”

Magic Bat laughed lightly. “You do have a bit of a bad habit of that, you know. How many times was it again?”

“...I think it was about three but I could be wrong. Past this summer, definitely more,” Felix confessed.

Dark Gunner straightened up. “Crap, summer is almost over, isn’t it?”

Felix chuckled, nodding his head. “Yeah dude, it is.”

KeyMaster groaned. “Oh, god, life is about to get busy again. Sleep loss is gonna take a way harder toll.”

The warlock shrugged. “Hey, _I’m_ the year-round college student here. Pretty sure if I can manage, you guys can too. After all, if you can manage a double-life at all, you can probably manage school.”   
  


KeyMaster straight-up scoffed. “Who said anything about school?”

“Do you really think I’m that young?” Dark Gunner joined in, voice turning a little harsh.

Felix stayed silent.

Magic Bat held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Sorry, sorry, jeez.”

The brunette chuckled at his friend’s scared face, glad to once again peek into its detail, before glancing up at the sky above them.

“Hey,” he started off, “do you guys like living here? In this city?”

Dark Gunner shrugged. “I don’t know, it’s a city. I just happen to be here.”

KeyMaster tilted her head. “I guess I don’t hate it. Life can be hard but it’s where I grew up.”

Felix smiled, Magic Bat’s enthusiastic nod clearing his mind.

“Heh, yeah, I guess that’s the common answer for people who grew up here. I don’t know, though. I haven’t always lived here so, to me, there’s a sort of magic to it,” Felix contemplated.

The warlock’s eyebrows shot up. “Um, sorry, I don’t mean to ruin the serene mood but I just realized I never recalled my cards. Gimme a minute.”

He stood up and walked several feet over while KeyMaster asked, “You didn’t grow up here? You seem to know the city so well, though.”

“Been here long enough to learn it, not long enough to find it boring, I guess. You guys never get that? That sense of wonder at how many people live here, that refreshing sound of people going about their lives?” Felix questioned.

The other vigilantes shook their heads.

“Don’t get me wrong, I care about the people in this city, that’s part of why I do this, but I don’t feel that at all,” KeyMaster admitted.

Dark Gunner simply said, “I hardly do this to protect the good. More to punish the bad.”

“Gathered that much, thanks,” Felix joked, happy to earn a laugh from the gunman.

He gazed up at the sky again, taking in the brilliant moon and sounds of cars passing, reveling in the euphoria that adding coffee to the stimuli created, before grinning and leaning back over to catch the attention of his friends.

“Hey, what do you guys say, same time next week?” 

The vigilantes shared a look before shrugging, nodding along. Magic Bat, coming back to the group, shook his head.

“I’m busy during a lot of next week. Finals. I should be good on Saturday, though. Is that fine?”

Felix let his grin widen. “Sounds perfect.”

He stood up then, stretching his back. “Well, then, I know it’s a bit early but the police will probably be a lot more watchful for us tonight after this. I’m headed back to my secret lair, now, see you all another time.”

He waved to them before taking off, getting home as quickly as he could.

Honestly, it was sorta the perfect opportunity to catch up on some lost sleep.


	10. [Important Things Come With a Complementary Speech]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer's swang song rolls in.

A week passed easily and Felix found himself in the last weekend before summer’s end. School started mid-week, so he didn’t need to fret too much yet, but it still sorta bummed him out.

He spent Saturday lazing around his house, for the most part, chatting to Flex when his parents were both gone at work and getting some last-minute summer homework done. He’d completely forgotten about his reading list for English so he quickly Googled the summaries and worked with what he could scrounge up.

He lost track of time for a while, actually, because it was three o’clock before he knew it.

Which meant he was late.

Over the course of the week, he’d adjusted the specifics of his and the vigilantes’ next get-together to start off midday. He knew it was sorta odd but explained that he’d figured they’d all need time to coordinate what they were going to do so it would be at the very least somewhat smart to start earlier on.

He’d kinda forgotten. 

The moment it dawned on him, he slammed his laptop closed and bolted out of his room, not changing out of his loose jeans and gray shirt and just barely managing to grab his pre-prepared backpack and to slip into some shoes.

Felix definitely regretted rushing out of the house not too long later due to the fact that the air conditioner on the bus was blasting and he sorely wished he had a jacket with him. But oh well.

He rode the bus until he arrived at the station nearest to  _ Popchester’s _ and from there he found a nice alley to hide his stuff in for the day. It was pretty narrow and ended with a dead-end so he doubted it would get too much traffic, allowing him to go out without much worry. 

It took maybe ten minutes until he caught sight of the three other vigilantes, all sitting on the roof of a bakery and chatting amongst themselves. Felix, in his haste, decided to just jump the last few roofs.

It almost went well, however, the fact that he ended up dangling by his scarf from the ledge of a neighboring building probably said enough.

_ “Nice one, doofus,”  _ Flex snapped.

“Hey, at least it was an accident this time,” Felix muttered defensively, beginning to climb up.

“This time?” A new voice chimed in, leaving Felix groaning that his failed stunt was witnessed.

A hand was extended in front of his face and he took it, pulling himself up to see the smirk of who else but KeyMaster.

“Okay, listen, I don’t appreciate eavesdropping. It’s quite rude,” Felix huffed, wrapping his scarf around his shoulders again.

The girl in front of him scoffed. “Please, you can chide me about manners when you’re not half-an-hour late.”

“Hey, I’m not the one that drives the bus!”

“Wouldn’t be surprised if you were.”

Magic Bat’s voice broke their bickering. “Is he okay?”

Felix turned his focus to the warlock, giving him a smile as he made his way over.

KeyMaster shrugged. “As okay as Scarfy can be.”

“I resent that,” the brunette sighed.

Magic Bat chuckled. “Wow, seasons change but you two don’t.”

“Season hasn’t officially changed yet but I appreciate the stab at Key-Club here as well for a change,” Felix grinned.

“Glad to please you. Anyway, you’re a bit late so we should probably catch up quickly,” the warlock 

Felix nodded, waving at the now-approaching Dark Gunner. 

“Sorry about that, by the way. Some stuff piled up and I sorta lost track of time,” the brunette apologized before schooling his face into a dastardly smile. “Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’ve called you here today…”

_ “Because you have no other friends?”  _ Flex suggested.

Felix quickly gripped the scarf tightly, losing his composure and focusing his attention on it. “Shut up, I have tons of friends!”

_ “You have Brody,”  _ Flex dry-panned.

“Okay, well, one is better than nothing!”

_ “Have you  _ met _ Brody?” _

“He’s better than  _ you _ !” Felix snapped, a moment of panic ensuing as a cough caught his attention.

Slowly, he glanced up to the other vigilantes, wincing as he saw the affronted look on KeyMaster and the way Dark Gunner was covering his already masked mouth trying to hold back laughs. Magic Bat just stood confused.

“Did you just imply you only have one friend?” the warlock asked quietly.

“Are we  _ sure _ he’s not in need of a therapist?” KeyMaster cut in.

Felix sighed. “I could be but I guarantee you it’s not for anything you just witnessed.”

He waited stiffly for Dark Gunner to stop laughing, clearing his mind to get back on track.

“ _ Anyway _ , we worked together well last time and I wanted to discuss that. Also, it was sorta fun,” Felix started off. “I know concentrating our efforts together all the time would be somewhat counterintuitive because we’d be taking our focus away from a more widespread approach and leave certain areas vulnerable. So, I propose we work out a sort of plan together. We’ve all been mostly doing things on our own for a while but we could use a little more coordination. This is a serious thing we’re doing and since we have the chance to, we need to do it right.”

KeyMaster nodded. “So what, you suppose we iron out territories?”

Felix shrugged. “A little, but more than that, I think it would be the right move to discuss our patrols so we don’t end up focusing in the same areas at the same time unless we mean to.”

The gunman shifted. “And if something comes up where we have to breach out of that set plan?”

“Not quite sure. Again, here to discuss. In that scenario, I’d say you’d be free to do it so long as you notify the rest. If I do another undercover stint in a gang, I’ll mention it to you guys so you know my normal area isn’t as covered. You don’t then  _ need _ to do anything about that area, per say, but you could if you wanted to,” he explained.

“Okay, nice plan and all but hold up,” Dark Gunner cut in again, eyebrows furrowing. “ _ Another  _ undercover stint in a gang? When exactly did you breach Hell’s Harbor?”

Felix paled as he realized he let that slip, quickly covering it up. “Oh, uh, not double-H. I got into Crimson Coast before you were even around that area. Helped collect some info for the guys who brought it down. My informant still won’t tell me who he was working with back then.”

Dark Gunner looked unconvinced but didn’t argue further.

Their warlock, however, found issue. “You thought infiltrating a gang was a good idea? What if you’d been killed?”

Felix sighed. “Let’s discuss this later. Key-Club, you’ve been scary-quiet through all this. Penny for your thoughts?”

“Are you actually gonna pay me?”

“Do I look like someone who could pay you?”

“Nice to see you admit it,” she smirked. “As for your idea, it’s not a bad one. You’re right, collaboration is key here.”

The three boys instantly paused. Felix hesitantly cleared his throat. 

“Was… was that a fucking  _ pun _ ?” he asked, grin slowly spreading.

KeyMaster froze as well, face contorting into horror. “Oh. Oh, God, no, I didn’t mean--”

Felix gave her a pat on the back, wiping away a fake tear. “The time has arrived. I’m so proud of you, my padawan.”

“Touch me again and your hand comes off.”

Felix retracted the limb, giving a sign of surrender. “Got it, got it, jeez.”

Magic Bat cut in. “Let’s discuss this as we go. I think I could use a warm-up race.”

He sent a glare when Felix reached to grab Flex. “No cheating, Scarfy.”

“Ugh, fine. Have it your way, Batty.”

~

The next morning, Felix woke up on his floor with a headache. He must have been more tired than he thought he was last night -- he hardly even remembered getting home. The spot he’d chosen to sleep on was also evidence he’d not gotten home gracefully.

Groaning, he pulled himself into a sitting position and searched around for his phone to check the time. Instead, what caught his attention were the multiple missed calls from Brody, alongside an avalanche of texts. 

“Just what my morning… noon needed,” he grumbled, searching back through the many messages -- variations of “felix, buddy, text me back or i’ll presume ur dead” -- to find what the topic Brody had first brought up even was. 

As he scrolled, he glanced up after feeling a breeze and noticed his window was left open.

“...great, now I’ll get spiders,” he moaned, turning back to his screen.

School shopping. He had 50+ texts from Brody under the context of him wanting to go buy last-minute school supplies.

“Hey, Flex?” He called out.

A quiet  _ “What?”  _ came from his closet.

“What time did we get back last night?”

_ “Not last night. This morning. Approximately 5 am.” _

Felix let out a low chuckle, standing up and stretching, closing his window and sending a confirmation of life to Brody while he made his way to the kitchen.

His parents were already awake, milling about the kitchen and debating about when to wake their son up. Felix gave a light knock the door frame to catch their attention.

Chester smiled warmly, straightening up in his seat at the bar. “Thought you were dead in there!” 

Felix rolled his eyes, slightly wincing at how it made his brain feel. “Heard that one before, thanks.”

His dad pouted, turning puppy eyes onto Juliana.

She kept a poker face. “We’re not grounding our son for being a bit sassy.”

Felix chuckled at his parents, quickly checking to see if there was any coffee made. There  _ was _ some left in the pot but it was several hours old so he set on making a new brew.

“Sleep well?” His mom asked, leaning against the counter to see his face.

“If I’m being honest, not really,” he sighed. “Apparently Brody is gonna kidnap me today though, so I don’t have time to moan about my headache.”

A look of deep empathy crossed Juliana’s face. “Good luck with that, kiddo.”

Chester frowned. “Hey, don’t dissuade him from socializing. God knows you could use someone like Brody.”

Juliana bristled. “I haven’t seen you talk to someone new yourself in weeks.”

“And it’s killing me!”

His mom smirked amusedly. “Whatever you say.”

Felix watched on with a confusing sense of familiarity.  _ Why do they remind me of something….? Must be a TV show. Except I haven’t watched anything lately. _

Before he knew it, the coffee was done and he trudged back into his room, taking only a few minutes of rest before preparing for the day.

Since it seemed cooler than usual today, he took the liberty of wearing a dress shirt under a light sweater. He swapped out his baggy blue jeans for crisp, black ones and actually took a comb to his hair for once. It had sorta been a while since he’d left the house without intentions of dropping all his clothes in an alley.

He was just swallowing some painkillers when he heard the doorbell ring. 

Before he could even exit his room, he heard his dad excitedly chatting with Brody. Set on minimizing any damage, Felix grabbed his bag and whispered a goodbye to Flex, heading off to greet Brody.

Brody Warren was dressed as he normally is: like a total nerd. He almost exclusively wore graphic Tees with images from his favorite TV shows and video games, always wore a similar pair of dark, ripped skinny jeans, and always matched his shirt to a brightly colored flannel. Felix had also never seen him wear anything but the same ratty tennis shoes -- not out of them being the only things he could afford but out of a long-time commitment to them.

Brody was actually kinda weird. Felix loved it.

His friend smiled brightly when he noticed Felix. “Yo! You ready?”

Felix shrugged. “Enough.”

“Great!” Brody did a quick snap of his fingers, ending with finger guns towards Felix. “If we run, we can catch the next bus rotation and be at the shopping plaza in no time!”

Felix groaned, kissing his mom goodbye from her hiding spot around the corner of the hallway and waving to his dad as he trudged out the door. Brody quickly took the lead, really not having joked about the whole running thing.

It being morning on a Sunday, the traffic into the city wasn’t too bad. They got off at the station nearest to  _ Popchester’s  _ and quickly navigated their way to the nearby shopping plaza. Felix honestly didn't visit the place often but he had stopped by a while back to buy his turtleneck. 

Come to think of it, he could probably use another one. Guaranteed that thing doesn’t get washed nearly enough.

“Hey, Brody?” He asked as they entered a supply store. It was more crowded than Felix had expected, probably due to last-minute shoppers like himself. “Do you think-- Do you think  _ Scarfboy _ looks kinda lame in comparison to the other vigilantes?”

Brody hummed, picking up a basket at the door. “I mean, yeah, his outfit isn’t all jazzy like Magic Bat or KeyMaster, but that gives him a certain charm, ya’ know? He looks home-made, like a regular dude.”

“But if he were from a comic book?”

“I’d say they need a redesign, yeah. You think so too, right? When you doodle, you change the design up a lot,” his friend replied, nudging Felix in the side.

“Yeah, yeah. I like the turtleneck, though. And the scarf. I just think he could stand to not wear jeans,” Felix admitted, zeroing in on the notebook aisle. 

Brody huffed out a laugh, “Yeah, it is a bit anticlimactic. Though I bet he’d look great in tights.”

Felix felt his face heat up, ignoring the mental image. “Okay, new topic.”

His friend wagged a finger, moving closer to Felix to dodge out of the way of another customer. “Just because you haven’t considered doesn’t mean nobody else has.”

“Oh, God, I really do not want to know which fansite you got the idea from.”

“I’ll send you the link later,” Brody winked, finally grabbing a few notebooks.

“Gee, thanks,  _ buddy. _ ”

Felix mimicked his friend, haphazardly choosing a few notebooks at random, before suggesting pencils and lead refills. Brody groaned, “Gross, school means inhumane amounts of writing. And I was just getting used to  _ not _ having calluses.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “You’ll get over it, dude.”

“Easy for you to say! Your fingers stay human-looking all year round!” Brody snorted. “Us normal people have lower endurance. Seriously, though, you’re gonna have to share your secret one of these days.”

Felix unintentionally froze up, knowing his friend couldn’t have segued so fast to his biggest secret but his brain not allowing him to accept logic. “Um, I… What secret?”   
  
Brody frowned, playful mood fading. “About how you keep your hands looking perfect. Dude, are you okay?”

Felix’s brain started moving again. “Oh, uh, yeah. Totally. Just, I don’t know.”

Brody looked unconvinced. “Sure. Don’t worry, I’ll drop it.”

Then, before Felix even had a chance to attempt to save himself from embarrassment, Brody shot up stiff. 

“Holy shit that person is gorgeous,” came from Brody’s mouth, and Felix couldn’t help but chuckle.

Felix followed his friends’ line of sight into the main bulk of the crowded store but upon seeing no-one who would constitute as supermodel-gorgeous, he had to assume it was down to Brody’s own taste.

And oh boy, he’d probably die before anyone figured out what Brody’s taste was.

He pat his friend on his back. “Focus back to your brain, man.”

Brody gave a light glare at him. “Are you saying the only way to appreciate attractive people is through the nether regions? I would’ve thought the scientist in you would have some long spiel about objective beauty.”

“Brody, if anyone has that speech planned, it’s you,” Felix joked, grabbing a few erasers for the year.

His friend pouted. “Dammit, I thought you would have it. And here I was all excited.”

Felix laughed at his friend for a moment before his eyes landed on a black sketchbook across the aisle, silencing him as he considered it.

Brody grinned ear-to-ear when he saw what Felix was looking at. “Dude,  _ yes _ ! Go for it.”

The vigilante shrugged. “I don’t know. It could end up being a waste of money.”

“What else would you spend it on?” Brody criticized.

Felix answered without hesitation. “Coffee.”

The other teen rolled his eyes. “Okay, Mr. Caffeine Addict. Let me tell you one thing right here and now. Coffee is always gonna be something that eats away at your wallet. This? Could be a chance to spice up your life. This right here is a flux moment in time. Will Felix J. Cooper pick up the sketchbook or not? Which ways will it take the universe? What if you create the cure for cancer but you can’t figure out how to draw the chemical compound? How awful would that be? What if an asteroid came hurtling towards---”

Felix clamped his hand over Brody’s mouth. “Okay, okay, I get it! You’ll ramble till I give in. Been here before, thanks. I’ll buy the damn sketchbook.”

Brody was smiling when Felix pulled his hand back. “In all seriousness, you’re pretty adequate already. Not great, but nowhere near awful. I think some practice will do you good. And then you can design me a superhero costume.”

Felix scoffed. “Sure. Thanks for the vote of confidence, Conspiracy Man.”

They only spent about ten more minutes before they were ready to leave the store. Felix immediately requested they stop by  _ Popchester’s _ , claiming it would be a crime if they didn’t go despite being so close. 

Brody didn’t complain. 

Ross was there today, cleaning up a table by the front of the store, immediately grinning when he saw Felix, smile quirking down when he saw Brody.

“Oh, you brought a friend,” he grumbled.

Felix rose an eyebrow. “C’mon, man, Brody’s chill.”

“The last time you sat with someone you spilled your coffee and made a girl cry.”

Brody frowned. “Wait, what? Felix knows a girl?”

Felix snorted. “Great takeaway. And to be fair, those two weren’t really friends of mine. I haven’t seen them since.”

Ross hummed, using Felix’s shoulder as an armrest. “Huh. Wonder why.”

Felix shrugged the barista off. “Hey, you don’t get to be more sarcastic than me!”

“This constant restraint on my jokes is why our marriage is failing, Fili!” Ross whined, then pointed to Brody. “I mean, just look what our arguing is doing to our child!”

Brody rose his hands up in defense. “Uh-uh. No way. Leave me out of your drug ring. Felix already sold his soul to this place, I plan on keeping mine.”

Ross grinned, ruffling Felix’s hair. “Aww, you didn’t have to give me your soul, baby! All I needed for our anniversary was money!”

Felix rolled his eyes. “I had a rough night. I’ll get you your anniversary gift in exchange for that sweet, bitter caffeine fix.”

Ross nodded avidly. “Sure! Maybe get in line and stop crowding the doorway? I’ll get something started for you. Brody?”

“Medium latte, please.”

“Got it.”

Ross quickly fled to behind the counter, joining the barista already working there.

Brody still seemed a little weirded out by the admittance Felix had made a scene with other other people at the cafe but warmed up in no time. That’s part of what made Brody so great in Felix’s eyes: he didn’t linger on things that made other people uncomfortable.

Ross ended up making Felix an Americano. He had to admit, he was glad to have warm coffee after drinking it from a can so many nights in a row.

Sabrina, another barista there, ended up ringing them up.

She smiled brightly when she saw him. “Felix! It’s good to see you! I was worried you’d stopped coming!”

Ross leaned over and stage-whispered, “He’s here almost every day.”

The girl sighed. “Yeah, it’s more likely my shifts. No more midnight visits?”

Felix hummed in consideration. “Nah, but it’s a good suggestion. If I decide my insomnia needs more help keeping me up, I’ll let you know.”

Sabrina rolled her eyes at that so they accepted their drinks and went to Felix’s normal table.

Felix took a sip of his coffee and was once again pleased to find it was slightly cooler. “Ah, Ross is the best.”

“I feel like he’s gonna murder me,” Brody complained, opening his cup up to add sugar. 

Felix waved his friend’s concerns off. “He’s just jealous. If I have outside influences there’s a chance they could steal me away from this coffee place and then he’d lose his heaviest tipper.”

“Do you actually tip that much?”

“It’s a case-by-case scenario.”

Brody’s eyebrows rose, and he cut off the conversation by nodding across the cafe. “Hey, not to be that guy, but you should totally go talk to that girl over there.”

Felix scoffed, not averting his gaze from his cup. “Brody, c’mon, you know this is a sacred place to me. The only sins I allow in here are jokes about selling myself out for coffee. You’ll have to leave your teenage lust back in the Staples.”

Brody shook his head. “No, you don’t get it. She’s reading one of your nerd books. I’ve seen it in your backpack and around your room. She’s a nerd, dude! Also, well, her being pretty doesn’t subtract from that nerd appeal.”

Felix finally sighed, giving in and tilting his gaze behind him. 

Brody had been right -- the girl  _ was  _ pretty and she  _ was _ reading a book Felix himself owned. He found her oddly familiar, quickly deciding she must be a regular as well from how comfortably she’d settled into her seat. Her hair was a darker brown than his own, hair pulled behind a headband, and her eyes were a crystal blue. Her clothing style was also very pretty and to call her anything but well-dressed would be a lie. Despite wearing jeans, she still managed to pull off an elegant grace to her outfit. Even her silver and gold bracelets came off as fashionable instead of impractical.

She wasn’t looking back at their own table, her attention very obviously captured by the book in front of her as she absentmindedly stirred the straw in her iced coffee.

Felix turned back to Brody. “Yeah, no thanks.”

Brody gasped, overdramatically raising a hand to his heart. “But why?! Dude, she’s perfect for you… actually, she may be a bit out of your league, but I’m sure you could woo her with… hey, what are your positive qualities again?”

Felix just rolled his eyes. “I don’t even know her name, she could be an awful human being -- or worse, she could have no sense of humor. Plus, why would I need to date someone when I have caffeine? Caffeine is my true love, science is the maiden I occasionally cheat on my true love with, and now drawing must be a platonic, parent/child type relationship. The mystery is if it’s born from caffeine or science.”

Brody snorted. “Of course, the speech you  _ do _ end up giving isn’t about people who look like they belong on the CW, but about caffeine and science. Nevermind, that girl’s not a  _ bit  _ out of your league, she’s  _ way _ out of it.”

Felix simply shrugged. “I’m not really arguing with you.”

His friend pouted, slumping down in his chair. “Ugh, I  _ know _ . It makes teasing you really hard.”

The brunette winked, taking a long drag of his drink. “I’ve had to learn how to deal with it recently, yeah.”

Felix jumped slightly when a hand clapped him on his back. “Fifi, does that mean you have more friends than just us?”

Ross was behind him, carrying a glass of water in one hand and opening the one that was reached out to Felix to reveal some painkillers. 

Felix ignored Brody’s chuckles at the scare, brightening up. “Ross, I love you.”

The red-head smirked. “Aw, you’re just saying that.”

“Yeah, I am. Gimme,” he replied, reaching for the glass.

Brody rose an eyebrow. “Is he legally allowed to do that?”

Felix smirked. “No clue. Don’t care.”

“Nobody else working here cares, either,” Ross shrugged, grabbing a nearby chair to take a seat.

“And they also don’t care that you’re slacking off with customers?” Brody prodded.

“I’m allowed to take a break, aren’t I?”

“I think what my buddy here is trying to say,” Felix cut in, gulping down the pills as quickly as he could, “is that it’s highly unlikely you want to spend your break with a pair of high schoolers.” 

The red-head snorted. “Please, just cause I graduated doesn’t make me a prick. Plus, it’s not like community college is the most prestigious of schools for me to get all hot and bothered about being seen with people a few years younger. Oh no!” he mock-gasped, hand over his heart. “A reflection of what I was like a few years ago! Burn it with fire!”

He snorted again, laughing the act off. “Please, I really hope you’d think better of me than that.”

Brody pouted, sulking in his seat a little, mustering up a measly comeback of, “Your coffee’s all hot and bothered…”

Felix laughed, holding his forehead as he tried not to irritate the light throbbing even more. “I’d hope the coffee was hot, geez.”

Brody’s face froze in a mix of confusion and regret. “Okay,  _ listen _ \--”

But Ross was laughing along as well and pretty soon, Brody stopped trying to defend himself and joined in with some light chuckles.

Taking another sip of his coffee, Felix relaxed in his seat as Ross asked Brody a question about the vigilantes and the excitable puppy of a teenager started off on a long tirade. 

(Felix was pretty sure Ross’s eyes glazed over about a minute into the speech but what Brody didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.)

~

Later that night, Felix was out on the town again.

The sun had set several hours ago, allowing the glistening lights of the city to gleam and twinkle in a manner that, from high up, always mesmerized Felix.

Maybe the other vigilantes had been right and big cities were really only beautiful to those who hadn’t grown up in one but he didn’t care. It was eye-catching nonetheless.

“Hey, Flex, think things’ll get any easier?” He asked to the night, admiring the view below him.

_ “If anything, it’ll likely get harder. Basing off of past experience and how much more complex any situation gets when you add other humans--” _

“Okay, okay! It was more rhetorical than anything,” Felix grumbled.

_ “That was definitely not rhetorical by any stretch of the term. You just didn’t like my answer.” _

Felix was about to fire back, probably something that in a roundabout manner was supposed to defend his claim that it was a rhetorical question but that would better serve as a distraction from the situation entirely, knowing him, when another -- definitely human -- voice cleared their throat behind him.

Remembering he’d asked the others to reconvene with him up on the hotel building he was currently overlooking the city from, he slowly turned around to reveal the other vigilantes.

“Oh, uh, hey guys,” he greeted, waving hesitantly.

KeyMaster and Dark Gunner stayed silent while Magic Bat gleefully walked up to Felix, ruffling his hair.

“Hey!” the teen protested.

“You ever gonna explain your talking thing to them?” Magic Bat asked.

Felix grinned. “Hmm… maybe not. Their reactions are pretty funny after all.”

The warlock shrugged. “Fair enough, I guess.”

Dark Gunner piped up, giving Felix a jolt. “I’m taking a wild guess and saying your scarf contains an AI program?”

Felix stuck still, staring in awe. 

“Are…” he stuttered. “Are you a science nerd, too?”

The gunman shook his head. “Of course it’s not like anyone could guess someone has an AI scarf… God, that was supposed to be sarcastic but honestly, it does sound pretty far-fetched. What exactly is wrong with our lives that something like that is an easy guess?”

Felix smirked. “Aw, you tried to make a joke. How cute.”

One of Dark Gunner’s eyebrows rose above his sunglasses. “You wanna try saying that again?”

Taking a step toward the vigilante, Felix hummed. “I don’t know. Wanna try giving me a reason not to?”

“Hmmph. I can think of a few ways to convince you.”

“Any of them involve puppies?”

“Any of your jokes contain a good punchline?”

Magic Bat was giggling behind Felix making the scarf-clad teen pout. “Hey, how come you aren’t on my side?”

KeyMaster spoke up. “There are sides? In that case, I’m on the side of the guy with the gun.”

Felix grinned. “Are you really with him or are you just against me?”

The gunman in front of him laughed a little. “In combat, it doesn’t matter.”

“And in sarcastic word-fights?” Felix asked.

“Heh, word-fights,” their warlock continued to giggle.

The gunman huffed. “If we’re fighting with words then I won the moment you made up a new word?”

“So Shakespeare technically would lose too?”

Magic Bat suddenly appeared between the two of them. “Okay, okay. Let’s stop this before you threaten the integrity of frickin’ Shakespeare. And also, let’s stop talking about anything academic in general. Finals have finally released me from their icy grip and I fully intend to enjoy my freedom.”

The three other vigilantes stared. 

Flex’s next comment said it all.  _ “Did this guy seriously just say “frickin’.” We’re still on the same page here?” _

“For once, Flex, I can’t even disagree.”

Their warlock frowned. “Wait, what? What is it?”

The three vigilantes broke their gaze.

KeyMaster, trying to change the subject, offered them all her signature iced coffees. Grateful for a break in conversation, Felix took the opportunity to make one last announcement for the summer.

“By the way, guys,” he said as he sat down, staring up at the stars, “My schedule is about to get a bit more hectic so I won’t quite be able to make it out every single night or for the same amount of time. So, like, just so you know.”

Nobody asked why, nodding along and accepting his words.


	11. [Sour Gummy Worms Reveal the Truth]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sophomore year babieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Nothing in this mortal world, Felix decided, absolutely  _ nothing _ , was worse than  _ this. _ This right here was hell on Earth; it was the deepest root of human misery. The core of pain and hatred was unfurling into understanding right before him in a cacophony of anguish and torment.

That is all to say, he really hated waking up to an alarm clock.

He’d forgotten how absolutely awful it’s incessant beeping was, the never-ending plague of annoyance that crept into his mind and stuck it’s feet down as if it lived there. It was six A.M. -- there had been nights recently when he’d gone to  _ sleep _ at this hour, he wasn’t nearly ready to  _ wake up  _ at it.

This did all mean one thing, though, one thing he’d felt coming for a while now: Summer had ended and the school year had arrived.

Finally giving up on the sweet mistress that always seemed to evade him -- a good night of sleep -- Felix slowly rolled out from under his cocoon of blankets. He grumbled as he removed himself from it, the cold of the room being far too harsh for a summer morning.

He took a minute to prepare for the day, finding his school backpack tucked away in his closet and packing a few notebooks, folders, and pencils into it. It probably wasn’t enough for the whole week but it’d get him through the first day.

_ “Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” _ he heard his scarf greet, noise somewhat muffled but still crisp in a way that hit Felix’s brain painfully.

“Fuck off, Flex. I haven’t even had my coffee yet,” the teen groaned.

_ “Don’t be so grumpy, kiddo, you’ll get wrinkles.” _

“As a piece of fabric, I really don’t think  _ you _ should be the one threatening  _ me _ with wrinkling.”

Flex was silent after that, even as Felix took the risk to pack the scarf away in the back pocket of his bag. Just in case.

Deciding he could only go so much longer before passing out again, Felix left his room in hopes that coffee would already be made. Thankfully, his mom was already sipping on her own cup of the beautiful bean juice at the kitchen counter. Felix assumed his dad was either still asleep or lurking around the corner to scare him.

“Mornin’,” he slurred on his way over to grab a mug.

“Happy Wednesday, kid. Need a ride to school today?”

Felix considered it for a moment before shaking his head. “Nah, you need to head to campus right? Harborside is way too out of the way for it to be convenient.”

Juliana shrugged. “Well, I’m not gonna argue, but tell me if you change your mind. Leftovers from last night are in the fridge if you want those.”

Felix searched his head for memories. “Oh, and, uhh… what did we have last night?”

His mom shrugged. “Pretty sure we ordered Chinese.”

Felix chuckled, taking a long drink from his mug. “Just saying, you guys are kinda failing at raising me to be a functional member of society.”

“Shut up, I’m not functional and I’m just fine.”

The teen smirked, feeling more awake just with a bit of caffeine in him. “I guess you are, yeah.”

~

Felix, despite how sluggish he felt, ended up getting to school early. Surprisingly, the busses were not only right on time but speedy once they were driving. 

Brody had been texting him all morning. Apparently, the school was doing one of those last-minute schedule changes, not that it really surprised Felix, but it was a point of annoyance every year, adding a bit of unnecessary stress.

After seeing his schedule from orientation completely changed, Felix at least learned he had a few classes with Brody now, a major improvement and somewhat worth the stress the schedule change gave his sleep-deprived mind.

He  _ was _ still sleep-deprived, though, so Brody’s excitable nature was giving him an early morning challenge to deal with. 

“--I mean, I know we’re not technically upperclassmen, but not being freshmen is actually a huge relief. Maybe seniors will stop sneering at us? If they keep doing that I swear I’m gonna do something about it. Like, I dunno, maybe we could spray-paint a few cars?”

“That’s vandalism, Brody,” Felix pointed out, rubbing his eyes as they wandered the courtyard aimlessly.

“Okay, we’ll throw eggs at them,” Brody conceded.

“Assault.”

“We can TP their houses?”

“That one’s just lame. And all of your ideas are expensive.”

Brody’s overdramatic pout made Felix’s grogginess lighten up a little.

“By the way,” Felix started off, eyeing his friend, “seriously, what’s with the dress shirt? I’ve never seen you wear anything so fancy and that’s a semi-formal outfit at best. Are you copying my style?”

Brody coughed awkwardly. “Well, I mean, first day of school, right? Gotta dress well at least one day per year.”

Felix narrowed his eyes, smirk spreading as he remembered their shopping trip. “Wait, are you hoping the person you called gorgeous is a student here?”

Brody went stiff, staring at Felix in shock. “...Are you psychic?”

Felix rolled his eyes. “No, you’re just obvious. So, what, not into Leia from Chemistry anymore?”

His friend huffed. “It’s not like that. I mean, I never asked Leia out cause I knew she wasn’t into me. In fact, I heard from a friend that she got together with her crush over summer.”

Felix winced in sympathy. “Oof. Sorry, dude.”

Brody shook his head. “Nah. I mean, I liked her, I can admit that now. But there’s no chance. Doesn't mean my feelings just disappear, but, you know, not something I can do anything about.”

“Are you sure you’re Brody Warren? Nice clothes, emotional maturity, hasn’t said a word about vigilantes  _ once  _ today? Doesn’t feel right…”

His friend laughed, elbowing him as they walked on. “Hey, I don’t get on  _ your _ case when you get all deep.”

“Yes. Yes, you do.”

Brody huffed. “Okay, I give. But you get the point.”

Then it was Felix’s turn to laugh. “What, you doing a new-year-new-me thing?”

“Nooo… I mean, not exactly. But we’re sophomores, man! And it’ll be the first full school year you and I have known one another! We might as well be classy about it!” 

“When’s the last time  _ you _ proposed being classy about anything?”

“The year was 1836. She was a quiet girl. Her mother would’ve killed me should I have been anything less than knightly,” Brody spoke, voice quivering in his faux-English accent.

Felix chuckled, about to run with the gimmick when the bell rang. Mood deflating in an instant, Felix wished his friend a good day and set off for his first class.

As with most first days of school, it left Felix with a melancholic disassociation. A few of his teachers had made strong impressions -- his biology teacher, in particular, seemed to be the most stressed-out man he’d ever met and honestly, he could relate -- but most of his memories of his new teachers got lost in the flood of new faces and his mild back-to-school-depression. 

He’d never understand how Brody could get hyped up about a new school year. Sure, the guy got excited by almost everything and if there was ever a day that Brody just felt neutral about something it would probably be a sign that the apocalypse was coming, but being excited about school when he wasn’t even an overly-academic person was just ridiculous.

At least he knew his way  _ around _ the school now to help his frazzled mind adjust a bit better. His first day at Harborside High School during the winter had been a bit of a joke with how easily he got lost. It wasn’t even that the school was particularly confusing -- he just couldn’t handle all the stimulating  _ newness _ of it all.

At the end of this day, he was only slightly better off than he had been last school year. 

He really knew he should just spend the night resting and reviewing the syllabi -- though he doubted anyone  _ actually  _ did that -- but something in him felt the need to clear his mind in a way that only the crisp air high above the city streets could. So, despite his logical side becoming increasingly disappointed in him as weeks went by, he decided he could use a night out vigilanting.

~

It should come as no shock to say he didn’t get the serenely quiet night he’d wanted. He almost never did, especially when his hobby was something so dangerous.

Fortunately, however, the distraction from peace tonight wasn’t a threat.

… well, probably.

“So, Beanie-Baby, what’s up?” Felix greeted, hardly even sparing a glance to the vigilante who’d appeared from nowhere to sit down beside him.

Dark Gunner didn’t reply at first, obviously affronted by the sudden nickname.

“I didn’t come all the way up here to hear lame jokes about my beanie.”

Felix let a wide grin spread across his face. “What else would anyone approach me for?”

The “up here” of the scenario was the roof of a familiar hotel building. Felix had avoided it since his little jumping stunt earlier in the summer but it had been long enough that he had to return to one of his favorite scenic locations.

Felix had no clue how the other vigilante had known he was up there but he was honestly beginning not to care.

Dark Gunner huffed out a half-laugh, pulling down the mask covering his mouth. 

“Nice spot you got up here. Is it really so unexpected to want you to share?”

Felix hummed. “Would you change your mind if you knew I kinda-sorta jumped off this building earlier in the year?”

With the mask down, Felix could see the wobbly smirk force it’s way past the other vigilante’s defenses and onto his face. “I think I’d like the place even more.”

Felix let out a laugh himself then, relaxing a bit more. “Careful, wouldn’t want to cut yourself on all that edge you got.”

Dark Gunner scoffed. “That was a weak one. Too unoriginal. C’mon, man, I expect better of you.”

“Guess you got a point. My deepest of apologies for disappointing you.”

“Forgiven, but you’re on thin fucking ice,” Dark Gunner smirked, pulling out a bag from his pocket. Felix, curious, peered at it until his light-deprived eyes told him the scariest man he’d ever met had just pulled out a bag of sour gummy worms.

He knew he’d seen the snack with the vigilante before but he never really got used to the contrast.

Dark Gunner noticed his stare once one of the worms was halfway to his lips.

“Oh, uh,” he stuttered, extending the gummy worm to Felix. “Want one?”

“Despite that being the nicest thing you’ve ever done for me, I’m gonna have to pass. Not much for sour things,” Felix declined, putting on a friendly smile so as to not come off as rude.

Dark Gunner didn’t seem bothered anyway, but then again, his mask of stoicism was pretty good.

The other vigilante just shrugged. “More for me, I guess. Oh, so I don’t suppose you’d want the extra energy drink I have packed now that we don’t get coffee from KeyMaster that often?”

Felix perked up at that. “Dude, I’ll take almost any source of caffeine.”

Dark Gunner rose an eyebrow. “Almost?”

“Starbucks is the place where coffee goes to die.”

Dark Gunner’s straight face broke into an awkward grin, sharp laughter erupting up.

“Of course you would have that sort of opinion.”

Felix smirked. “Yeah, I get that a lot… So, uh… energy drink?”

Dark Gunner let out another sharp laugh. “Sure, sure. I did offer, after all.”

The vigilante reached into his jacket, pulling out two tall cans. Felix assumed he must’ve found one of those fancy jackets with inner pockets. Or he had extra hands. (Felix wouldn’t be surprised.)

The taste was, by far, not as pleasing to him as coffee was, but it did its job well enough to instill him with a bit more life for the night.

After a few sips throughout a comfortable silence, Dark Gunner spoke up.

“So, I’m still a little curious to know what exactly you were doing caught up in the gang warfare on the West Side of town.”

Stiffening up, Felix let out a strangled laugh. “Didn’t I already tell you?”

“You told me you helped collect info for the guys that brought down Crimson Coast. I know I wasn’t on the scene yet back then but stuff like that is what I’m supposed to make it my business to know,” Dark Gunner explained. Felix would’ve even considered the tone of the conversation dark if not for the damned gummy worms the guy was still snacking on.

Felix tried not to get anxious. “Listen, I told you, my informant won’t tell me who the other guy was. My understanding of it is that there was some guy undercover in the gang who was really doing all the work. I just kinda gave a bit of extra help from my own undercover position -- I really wasn’t in that deep -- and served as a protective source.”

Dark Gunner still didn’t seem convinced. “And your informant? Wouldn’t happen to be a double-agent named Deathwish, would they?”

The brunette groaned. “Dude, I don’t know what you’re searching for here. Crimson Coast is down, yeah? I played a bit of a hand but it’s really not that big a deal. The only thing I can see you trying to figure out here is who I am and let me tell you, I’m a very private person.”

Dark Gunner snorted. “Sure you are. I only ask because, according to my buddy Deathwish, you weren’t involved. I didn’t tell him you said you were, though. Nor did he tell me who actually helped him out. I just want to know what went down in my territory.”

Felix groaned. “Aw, and here I thought I was special to him. Guess he didn’t really know it would detriment me to tell you that, though.”

Turning to look straight at Dark Gunner, he fixed the vigilante with a stare that he hoped would pierce through the objects covering their eyes. “Listen, fine, I’ll tell you a bit more… truthful information. Don’t bother asking Deathwish, cause he won’t tell you my real name. Hell, he doesn’t even know the guy he worked with to collect info on Crimson Coast is the vigilante the public insists on calling “Scarfboy”... probably. I can’t really confirm without giving myself away if he doesn’t know.”

Dark Gunner nodded along. “What exactly did you get on them that brought them down?”

Felix chuckled. “Their leader was very meticulous. He probably thought it was all safe but I managed to find the accounts of their dealings. Mostly regarding drug peddling and not murder but still enough to incriminate them.”

“I thought they used code names, though.”

“They did. But I was far enough undercover and with the help of an extremely proficient info broker. I was basically set on the whole figuring-the-nicknames-out thing.” 

Dark Gunner smiled at him again but this time, it wasn’t a goofy one. It was calm, collected, almost frightening in its facade. 

“Thank you for telling me, Scarfy.”

“No problemo. Just don’t push me on anything like that again for a while. I’ll push back harder next time,” Felix warned.

“Sure, whatever. You sure you don’t want a gummy worm?”

Felix sighed. “Beanie-Baby…”

“Don’t push it, got it. Jeez, and I’m just trying to be nice. Doesn’t happen often, ya’ know.”

_ Well, that’s a lie, _ Felix thought to himself as he smiled, going back to his drink.

~

P.E. 

Physical Education.

_ Fucking P.E. _

Felix had almost forgotten it was even a thing.

It wasn’t that he was necessarily out of shape -- with all the running around he did at night he could actually be considered pretty athletic, even if he didn’t really put on a lot of muscle. But, instead, it was due to all that aforementioned nighttime activity that he dreaded the idea of performing any more physical labor without the turtleneck on.

They hadn’t even changed into their gym clothes yet and he was still dreading the exercise the next week would bring. 

His teacher wasn’t exactly yelling at the students (yet) but he definitely wasn’t vibing with Felix either. His voice was slightly grating and after a night that contained such stress as Dark Gunner coming close to his actual identity. As such, he was trying his damned hardest to tune out the man’s voice.

Not always the smartest if he was being honest. Especially when it comes to beginning-of-

the-year instructions.

Because, before he knew it, the entire class around him was shifting.

Confused to death for a moment, he finally realized that his class was directly mixing with the class behind them in the gym. He was pretty sure the class behind him was a freshman class so while he stuck pretty confused, he at least figured out to move to the correlating position to his own in roll call.

He ended up standing next to a pissed-off looking blonde kid. While Felix sort of got the whole appeal of the “dangerous, edgy” style, this guy seemed to just  _ almost _ embody it. The black hoodie, black ripped jeans, and wallet chain the guy had all screamed punk, as did his facial expression, but his hair was what threw it all off. Felix had to assume the guy’s parents just wouldn’t let him dye it or get it cut, but it  _ was _ still close to the typical emo cut, so he really had no clue. 

Despite the dampening effect of the hair, Felix still felt serious intimidation waves rolling off this guy. He almost didn’t want to speak.

But he was still completely lost on why the classes had mixed so he kinda had to.

“Hey, so, uh…” he whispered to the other teen, trying not to catch the teacher’s attention as he talked to another staff member. “What exactly did we shuffle for? I kinda wasn’t listening.”

The blonde gave him a skeptical look that wasn’t  _ at all  _ terrifying and sighed exasperatedly. 

“You’re lucky I was for a change. Apparently, the ninth grade teacher suddenly ditched -- they didn’t say why -- so in order to manage the class better without getting a substitute, they’re just partnering us up with tenth graders.”

Felix nodded jerkily, silencing up. 

Surprisingly, the guy continued on, steadying his gaze upon Felix in an up-and-down motion. “So, really? The kid wearing a dress shirt wasn’t paying attention to a figure of authority?”

Felix let out a nervous chuckle. “Dressing well may be nice but it doesn’t suddenly wipe away exhaustion. Not even morning coffee can completely heal it.”

The blonde hummed to himself, looking back at the teacher with a sense of frustration.

“...I don’t understand why they won’t just get a long-term substitute,” the guy muttered.

Felix, after a moment of hesitation, took the chance to reply. “Well, Harborside isn’t exactly the richest school. And finding new teachers at a moment’s notice is always a scramble. You, uh… have you lived in this area long?”

The blonde turned his attention back to Felix, completely ignoring the teacher now, who Felix was pretty sure was explaining what sports they’ll be doing at what points in the year.

“All my life.”

“Well, uh, I only moved here during last winter break. My mom’s a professor at Havenden. The main reason we came here is because they were scrambling for a teacher to replace one that retired sooner than they’d been expecting,” Felix explained quickly.

The other teen tilted his head. “Huh.”

And the brunette suddenly felt a bit like crying as he floundered for words.

“So, yeah, this was probably a good call if they’re really hard-pressed for replacements… I’m, uh, I’m Felix, by the way. Felix J. Cooper.”

The blonde made no real change to his expression as he replied, “Miles Barrett.”

Felix forced a warm smile on his face, though it probably looked off. “It’s nice to meet you. I guess we’ll be working together for a while so let’s be friends, yeah?”

Inside Felix’s mind, he was freaking out.  _ I can’t believe I just outright asked someone to be my friend. Who am I? Oh God, is this what sleep deprivation does to me?  _

Felix extended his hand. Miles, after a moment of scrutinizing the limb, accepted it.

“Uh, yeah, sure. Wouldn’t want to hate one another, at least,” Miles conceded.

For some reason, that small concession led to a great relaxation throughout Felix and a genuine grin spread across his face.

“Glad to see someone at this school has common sense,” he joked. “Some of the people I’ve been sat next to have taken one look at me and sent honest-to-God glares. Like, I dunno, do I smell bad or something?”

Miles actually seemed to consider it, dangerous look disappearing as he did. “Not really. You do sorta smell like coffee, though, so maybe you’ve been sitting next to coffee-haters.”

Felix rose a questioning eyebrow. “Well, I don’t really wanna be friends with people who hate coffee anyway, so I guess it’s for the better.”

A puff of air escaped Miles, probably a laugh, before he replied, “Oh fuck, you’re one of  _ those,  _ aren’t you? I’ve met way too many coffee-addicts lately.”

Felix put on an affronted act. “I’ll have you know I’m not addicted. Caffeine and I have a mutual, loving relationship.”

There was definitely a chuckle at that one and Felix felt himself brightening up even more at the success of a joke. 

Felix brought a hand up to his chin, stroking a pretend-goatee. “Hm, a good sense of humor, too. What an interesting specimen.”

“Just saying, if anyone’s a specimen, it’s definitely gonna be the weirder one here. So far? That’s you,” Miles fired back.

Felix smirked. “Ouch. My one feeling. Shit, sorry, you’re supposed to be the edgy one here, isn’t that right?”

“Huh. Usually jokes about edge are pretty unoriginal. Kudos on that one,” Miles complimented.

“Thank you, thank you. I try way too hard.”

“Obviously.”

“If the two in the front here would like to stop chatting...” a new voice broke in, “...We could go over the policy for make-up work.”

Both boys turned to their teacher who was staring right on back at them. After a quick apology, the man thankfully ignored them and went back to his monologue.

Felix didn’t try to make conversation after that but did catch up to Miles after the bell had rung.

“Hey, wait up!” He called out, rushing over to the blonde.

Miles didn’t slow down but it wasn’t really an issue for Felix’s speed.

“Do you, uh, have a place to hang out at lunch?” Felix asked.

Honestly, he had no clue why he was asking something like that -- he didn’t even really know the guy. But still… there was some weird familiarity about him that made Felix want to know more.

Miles didn’t seem ecstatic about the invitation. “Um, kinda.”

Felix coughed a little. “Well, uh, if you ever want, you can hang out with my friend Brody and I. We have plans to conquer the left corner of the main courtyard by the library. Feel free to join us anytime.”

The blonde stilled for a moment. “Well… I guess since the friend I’d normally hang around is gone today, I’ll take you up on that.”

Felix brightened up then. “Great! Wait, your friend is missing the second day of school?”

“He does that sometimes.”

“Oh, uh, okay. Well, see you then?”

Miles, finally, gave a smile back. “Yeah.”

And then he was off again.

Felix had P.E. second period so there was a bit of time left until lunch began. He spent the next two classes mainly failing to socialize properly during the ice-breaker activities and mostly throwing quiet glares at his teachers when they would force him to talk to the person next to him. 

One new person was enough for a while, thanks.

By the time lunch rolled around after fourth period, he had almost forgotten he’d invited Miles at all.

Until, that is, he was just about to turn a corner to the courtyard and Brody pounced on him.

“Feeeeeelix…” he whined. “Someone already stole out spot, dude.”

Curious, Felix peeked around the corner to see a certain blonde sitting on one of the benches already.

He smirked at Brody. “Nah, it’s fine. I invited him.”

Brody stared on in shock, eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I think you just said  _ you _ of all people invited someone somewhere. Screw  _ me _ acting different, you  _ have  _ to be an alien.”

Felix just rolled his eyes, dragging Brody over to the benches before the boy could even complain.

“Brody, this is my P.E. partner for the year, Miles Barrett. Miles, this is my buddy Brody Warren,” Felix introduced, forcing Brody down onto the bench next to the one Miles was on and taking a seat next to him.

“Be careful, though,” he continued. “If you get him started on the whole vigilante situation, he’ll never stop blabbering on.”

Miles rose an eyebrow at that. “Really now?”

Brody pouted. “C’mon, man, I have other interests too!”

“What’s your opinion on Magic Bat?” Felix dry panned.

Brody immediately gave in. “Do you think that’s his real hair color? It would probably be really hard to run around in a wig all the time. There’s also a rumor that his eyes glow gold and I  _ know _ that can’t be colored contacts because contacts are notoriously painful and--”

Both Felix and Miles were chuckling by the time Brody had realized he’d instinctually started ranting on. 

“Man, screw you guys. Like you don’t have those questions yourselves.”

Miles shrugged. “Hey, when the guy on the West Side is packing, you learn not to ask questions.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “I guess you have a point but I personally don’t think Dark Gunner is as scary as everyone says he is. I mean, he’s often seen with the other vigilantes and there’s no way they would tolerate him if he actually scared the shit out of them, right?”

“You hang out with Ross,” Brody pointed out.

“I’m not scared of Ross, Brody,  _ you _ are.”

“That’s not true!” His friend protested.

“Sure, buddy. Keep telling yourself that.”

Brody pouted and turned to Miles. “Hey, man, back me up here.”

Miles smirked coldly. “For all  _ I _ know, you run screaming when you see this Ross guy, so I think I’ll kindly stay out of this.”

“Stop laughing, Felix, that wasn’t funny,” Brody demanded.

Felix was, at this point, honestly having issues controlling his breathing. “Hell yeah, it was.”

Brody deflated a little but still remained good-natured as he said, “Damn, I keep meeting people with the worst senses of humor.”

Miles beat Felix to the comeback. “I’m pretty sure you mean best.”

“Oh God, please don’t tag-team me. I can only handle so much.”

Brody excused himself from their teasing then, electing instead to pull out his lunch. Felix didn’t have a lunch, per se, but he had bought a canned coffee on his way to school that morning and pulled it out as well.

Miles popped an earbud in.

“Hey, Miles. So what are like, your hobbies?”

Miles considered the question for a moment. “Well, I can’t really do it often but I guess I’m pretty interested in video games.”

Felix hummed. “What sort?”

“Eh, fighting games and first-person-shooters, mainly?”

“And that’s a question because?”

“Again, I don’t really play them often even though I like them a lot. Mainly just play whatever my friend has. What about you?”   
  


Brody snorted. “Please, Felix is one of the biggest nerds I’ve ever met. He actually has a shelf in his room full of smart-sounding books written by people with titles in their names.”

Felix rubbed his wrist nervously. “Hey, I can’t help it. Both my parents work in the science field. It’s part of my DNA.”

Miles nodded along. “You said your mom teaches at Havenden?”

The brunette nodded. “Yeah, some courses relating to biology. My dad works with technology.”

“Which are you more interested in?” Miles asked.

“Neither,” Felix admitted. “Sure, tech can be fun, but I’m more of an astrophysics type of guy.”

Brody groaned. “God, I swear, you guys are the nerdiest family I’ve ever met.”

“Seems so,” Miles agreed.

Felix couldn’t even argue back. 

“So what I’ve gotten so far,” Miles began, “is that you’re a coffee-loving nerd who tries way too hard to be funny?”

Brody snickered. “That’s right on mark.”

“And you’re a vigilante-obsessed goofball who’s basically a human puppy.”

Felix grinned at that one. “Scarily accurate.”

“Thanks. Scary is kinda my middle name, after all,” Miles bragged.

“What is it really?” Brody pressured.

“Something way too fancy-sounding to reveal now,” the blonde assured.

A few more minutes passed like that, just chatting aimlessly, when Felix finally noticed Miles had pulled out something to snack on as well.

It took Felix a moment to process it before he could really accept what it implied. Like, how could it actually be…? What could the chances  _ possibly _ be…?

But no, there it was, and suddenly Felix’s mind could  _ stop _ .

The bag of sour gummy worms really shouldn’t have been a big deal. They  _ shouldn’t _ have.

But they were. They so were.

Felix stopped talking as he examined the blonde in front of him and considered the evidence: Blonde hair, check. Dark clothing, check. Laughs at Felix’s jokes, check. Kinda scary, double-check. Likes sour gummy worms, triple-check.

It  _ could _ all just be a coincidence, that’s what Felix wanted to tell himself. He could be imagining things or he may have confused a few details somewhere along the way or--

But then Brody said something -- a proper joke, most likely -- and Miles laughed.

And Felix knew then that he wasn’t just imagining things because he  _ knew _ that laugh. He’d heard it before and noted how sharp it was. Hell, he’d almost had it  _ memorized  _ by this point and--

And Miles Barrett was Dark Gunner.

Dark Gunner was a freshman in high school.

Dark Gunner -- who Felix had already agonized over the cloudy morals of, who Felix had assumed that even if he was younger than expected had to at least be a proper adult, who had held Felix at  _ gunpoint _ before -- was younger than Felix.

Felix couldn’t handle it.

Thankfully, he didn’t need to. Miles’ phone suddenly went off and he said he had to go after just a few words were exchanged. Felix had a break but… the issue wouldn’t just go away.

He managed to wave off Brody’s inquisitorial stare, saying he was only a bit tired.

He didn’t think Brody believed him. But Brody always respected that there were things Felix wasn’t comfortable talking about. Felix appreciated that, especially since he really couldn’t even tell Brody about some things if he  _ wanted _ to. 

So he blocked his thoughts out, put on a smile, and let the rest of the school day pass him by.

~

“...and I just don’t know if I can handle this, Flex,” the scarf-clad vigilante rambled, pacing in circles around in the belltower at Havenden University. “I mean, it’s  _ him _ and he’s… he’s a fucking kid just like me and I seriously  _ can’t  _ handle this and oh my God, what the fuck is even  _ with _ this whole situation!?”

His scarf, in deep contrast to him, was completely calm.  _ “Take a breath, Felix. How sure are you exactly that they’re the same person?” _

Felix sighed, trying to follow his friend’s advice. “I… I’m  _ positive _ , Flex. They’re the same. I doubted myself at first but then I heard him laugh and you know as well as I do that Dark Gunner has a pretty unique laugh, all sharp and with k noises and once I heard it, it just became so  _ clear _ .”

_ “And you have no doubt now?” _

“Absolutely none.”

_ “So… what are you going to do?” _

Felix tugged at his hair in frustration. “Gah… I don’t  _ know _ , Flex! Should I tell him I know? But then I don’t want him to know who I am… But how hard would it be to keep it secret? But I still don’t know him well enough to trust him with that secret and  _ more _ than all that…”

Felix looked out over the pitch dark campus, night air nowhere near refreshing to him now, just a cold bitterness that spread into his heart. 

“He kills people, Flex. He has enough decency not to do it when he’s with the other vigilantes but it’s not like he exactly denies it. It was easier to ignore that when I couldn’t put a real face to it but… I don’t know if I can deal with this. He’s just a teenager, hell, he’s younger than  _ I _ am, and yet… I just can’t come up with a reconciliation for those two facts. It freaks me out too much.”

Flex stayed silent for a pause before the scarf finally spoke up.

_ “I can’t tell you what to do, Felix. But I  _ can _ ask you something. Do you like working with Dark Gunner?” _

Felix frowned but nodded nonetheless. 

_ “And do you like talking to Miles?” _

“I mean, yes, but--”

_ “Then, until you can come up with an answer to your moral quandary, just do what you can to keep this guy in your life. After you come up with an answer, then you can act like you knew the question in the first place. Until then… just enjoy your teenage years and get some business done. You don’t need to act like they’re the same person.” _

“But they are the same person.”

_ “But you’re not ready for them to be. So just take some time, kid. Deal with it eventually but until you know how to… it’s not a  _ bad  _ thing to have a new friend.” _

Nodding to Flex’s words, the vigilante finally settled down, sitting on the edge that looked out to the glimmering lights of the city.

“You seem to have different advice for me every time I go to you, you know that, Flex?”

_ “Every different issue deserves a different resolution _ .”

Chuckling along quietly, Felix couldn’t argue.

And then something else hit him.

“Shiiit, I need to get back home soon, don’t I? There’s still school tomorrow.”

_ “It would be the smartest course of action, yes.” _

Felix stared into the city before him, taking a few deeps breaths.

“Well… maybe a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt,” Felix decided, relaxing back into the night.


	12. [Don’t/Can’t/Won’t Consider It]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i think this is Felix's third(?) existential crisis so far, lol

The weekend passed quickly. Felix ended up spending  _ some  _ time preparing for the rest of the school year but mostly he decided to give himself a bit of a break. So, mostly, he just binged some TV shows and spent his time wasting his life away on the internet.

Time well spent, all things considered.

He still went out at night on Saturday but overall spent less time fighting crime than he normally would. He didn’t want to risk running into Dark Gunner and ruining his recovery period. He didn’t want to never see the guy again but, oh boy, did he need a bit of time to settle down. 

But the weekend was only two days and it went by soon enough, forcing Felix back to school.

The classes that passed by were suddenly diving headfirst into the curriculum as if the first week had been a proper ramp-up to the explosion of work. It hadn’t been. His classes went from zero to a hundred in an instant and he was  _ not _ okay with it.

By the time lunch finally liberated him from his re-founded hell, he was easily ready to go home.

Brody, on the other hand, seemed to be more hyper than per usual.

Which meant he was probably talking about the vigilantes. Felix decided it was probably a good time to tune back into the conversation.

“...you really think they wouldn’t get caught on camera so much, you know? Like, I’m glad they are, but I’m also a little confused why they seem so careless. Felix, are you listening? I’m asking you for a reason, buddy. You’re the smart one between us.”

Felix, glad he’d tuned back in before he was caught tuning out, rolled his eyes. “I’m not that smart, Brody, and you’re nowhere near dumb--”

“I almost left the house without shoes on this morning, Felix.”

“So why don’t you tell me your ideas on it?”

Brody paused. “What, like, fan theories?’

Felix sighed. “Not just any fan theories, Brody. What’s  _ your _ crazy idea about it? I’m listening.”

His friend quieted down for a moment, a focused expression making itself at home on his face.

“...Well… maybe the vigilantes aren’t aware of how much they’re being photographed? Like, they don’t know about the fan sites. Which would suck, cause like, they are lots of compliments for them there. Or maybe the photographers are a lot sneakier than I thought. Or maybe the vigilantes just get distracted by their activities and forget to stay on guard,” Brody theorized.

Felix smiled. “Maybe it’s a combination of all three?”   
  


And then Brody exploded again. “Oh my God, that would make a lot of sense! Like, maybe only about half of the vigilantes are aware of the sites but they don’t find them important enough to mention when together? And if one of them, say, has an ability that lets them set up a perimeter, which would be super awesome, they could let down their guard and it would make it even easier for a really good photographer to notice them and profit from it. Especially if they have, like, a sniper camera! Like, good zoom? We’ve also never gotten any video or audio of the vigilantes, so maybe all the photos do come from farther away than they look… or the photographers all have enough respect to not reveal their voice and put their identity at risk… but it’s probably the first thing! Do you think it’d be fine if I share this theory or would, like, someone get mad?”

Felix took a bit too long to realize his friend had stopped his raving. “Oh, well, who would even get mad about it? It would let others know how to get pictures but it would also help the vigilantes realize, maybe, how they’re being photographed. So, like, it evens out?”

Brody grinned, clapping Felix on the back. “God,  _ this _ is why I keep you around.”

“I take offense to that.”

“No, you don’t. Now shut up while I post this to Watcher’s Watch.”

Felix recognized the name as one of the more popular fan sites, but, apparently, one of the two people who’d just shown up didn’t.

“What the hell is Watcher’s Watch?” Miles asked, sliding down on the bench beside the one Felix and Brody were on, his friend doing the same after a moment of hesitance.

That friend, who Felix didn’t recognize at all, was the one to reply. “It’s one of the best-known vigilante fan sites.”

Miles frowned. “And you know this how?”

“I frequent it,” the guy shrugged.

“So, uh, Miles,” Felix started, glad his voice didn’t waver. “This your friend you talked about?”

“Aww, you talked about me? Now I  _ know _ you didn’t mean it when you said you hated me this morning,” the guy replied, laughing a little before sending a wave in Felix and Brody’s direction. “Name’s Jett Powell. Miles mentioned he’d met some cool dudes when I wasn’t here the other day so I decided to tag along.”

Felix nodded, smiling and nudging Brody, who hadn’t yet looked up from his phone, to greet the guy back. “I’m Felix J. Cooper. This is my good friend… you gonna speak, dude?”

Brody looked up, eyes widening. “Oh, uh, I’m… Brody Warren.”

Jett gave a small smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Brody immediately looked back at his phone. Felix thought it was kinda rude but more so it was just weird -- Brody was the more sociable of them. 

Well, Felix did have to admit Jett looked a little intimidating. He didn’t quite give off the same “second-away-from-gutting-you” vibe as Miles did when they’d first met, but he certainly looked more suited to that vibe. His black hair was shaved on one side of his head, the other side reaching down to his jaw in feathery layers. The lack of hair on the left side exposed the multitude of silver piercings on his ears and brow line. There was also a piercing on the right side of his bottom lip and one on both sides of his nose. In fact, the nose piercing seemed to mimic one long piercing all the way through. 

His clothes, too, were a bit better put together to fit the rebellious vibe. The tall combat boots, stylishly ripped and studded jeans, and a multitude of silver and black bracelets all showed he’d had a bit more money to spend on it than Miles had.

But while Miles seemed more dangerous despite looks, Jett definitely seemed a bit friendlier, so Felix couldn’t really understand why Brody had almost ignored him.

“So…” Felix started off, breaking away from his observations, “are you in the same grade as Miles? Brody and I are sophomores.”

Jett nodded. “Yup. Miles and I go way back to elementary school. Blondie here even had a reputation back in middle school.”

Felix smirked. “What? Reputations aren’t just something bad kids movies say exist?”

“Nope, he was pretty was known for being a rough dude.”

Felix observed how Miles was now growling at Jett to stop talking. “Yeah, I can see it.”

Jett leaned forward, an intelligent glint in his eye. “Wanna know his nickname?”

“Aww, he has a nickname?”

“Correct! He was always called the Emo King of Seaside Middle School!”

Felix chuckled. “Emo King? I don’t know whether that’s cool or--”

“Lame,” Miles interrupted. “It’s really lame so if you wanna keep your tongue, Jett, you’ll stop telling people about it.”

Felix couldn’t tell if the threat was real or not. He ended up decided that -- though he liked his tongue -- it was too amusing a detail to hold himself back.

“Ya’ know, you definitely struck me closer to goth than emo…” Felix drawled.

“Stop it,” Miles warned.

“You even seemed closer to punk, but emo? You seem more dangerous to others, not yourself.”

“You made  _ one _ good emo joke, Felix. Doesn’t mean you can do it again,” Miles snarked, though a slight twitching of his mouth betrayed his true emotion.

“Blondie,  _ all _ my jokes are good. I’m an unparalleled genius… or an irredeemable loser. But hey, whoever said you can’t be both?”

Miles coughed, obviously trying to keep up his tough-guy attitude. “Felix…”

“Oh, right! My imaginary friend said I can’t be both but only because he paralleled my genius.”

And then Miles broke, leaving Jett with a look crossed between confused and terrified.

“Wait, how did you do that? I only hear him laugh like, once a month, max. How’d you do that so fast?” The punk teen asked at a rapid pace.

Felix grinned. “As I said, I’m a paralleled genius.”

Brody broke the comedic charm he had going on. “Felix... you said you weren’t that smart less than five minutes ago.”

Felix waved him off. “Insane geniuses are allowed to change their opinion.”   
  


“Insane?” Brody looked up again, before immediately hiding his face again.

“I did say I have an imaginary friend, didn’t I?” Felix answered.

“It would explain a lot,” Miles commented, still ramping down his chuckles.

“Shaddup.”

“Uh, hey, Brody. Felix,” said a new voice.

Ripped from his conversation, Felix turned his eyes to a classmate of his that he’d been friends with last year. Their name was Ash and they were honestly one of Felix’s most-liked from his friend group last year. Despite being kinda short, Felix had never met a more vibrant person. 

“Oh, yeah, Felix, I invited Ash over,” Brody explained, still not looking up from his phone. “That cool?”

Felix knew Brody had ditched the majority of their friend group when it became obvious they weren’t worried about Felix like he was, so while seeing Ash was a little surprising, Felix still welcomed it -- he didn’t  _ actually _ have any beef with his old friends, after all.

“Of course,” he smiled, making a bit of room between him and Brody. “Still they/them pronouns?”

“Yup!” Ash grinned, plopping down between the two boys.

Felix then turned to Miles and Jett. “So, guys, this is Ash, a friend from last year. Ash, the emo blonde is Miles and Mr. Piercings is Jett.”

Ash frowned at the pair for a moment before brightening up. “Oh, hey, didn’t I go to elementary school with you guys? I transferred midway through third grade but I definitely remember you two! We cut class together when you were in second grade. Or, uh, when Miles was. Jett, weren’t you in my class?”   
  


Jett nodded, suddenly smiling a lot brighter. “Holy shit, yeah. I, uh, got held back after that year…” he trailed off before pulling his smile into a loose smirk. “You’re still short, huh?”

Ash bristled. “Of course  _ that’s  _ your first thought, not a thanks for forging signatures for you guys on several occasions.”

“You still good at that?” Miles inquired, looking only a little desperate.

“Yeah... but I charge now,” Ash boasted, immediately inciting sighs from Miles and Jett.

Then Ash turned over to Felix, frowning. “Hey, wait, what are  _ you _ nerds doing with some troublemakers like these?”

“Are you saying  _ we’re _ not troublemakers and  _ they’re _ not nerds of any caliber? Stop being so close-minded, Ashy,” Felix playfully scoffed. “I’ll have you know I constantly prank Brody and I’m positive anyone who shares my sense of humor has to be even a  _ little  _ nerdy.”

Ash didn’t debate, just fixed him with an inquisitive look. “You’ve gotten a lot more confident, haven’t you?”

Ignoring the question that he honestly didn’t know how to answer, Felix deflected it. 

“I’ll tell you who seems to have lost all confidence out of nowhere,” he joked, gesturing to Brody.

The three other teens followed his gaze, Ash seemingly taking notice of Brody’s odd behavior for the first time. 

“Huh, you’re right. Brode-meister, what’s wrong, dude?”

Brody groaned, looking up and avoiding eye contact with the pair behind Felix. “Nothing, just trying to write this post.”

“Post?... oh, wait, you still trolling around those vigilante forums?” Ash asked.

“Why am I the only one that’s out of the know here?” Miles grumbled.

Jett rolled his eyes. “Please, last time I brought up vigilantes, you almost took my head off. In fact, I’m surprised all of us are still alive this far into the conversation.”

_ Huh, weird _ , Felix thought to himself.  _ Guess he hasn’t told Jett about being Dark Gunner. Then again, why would he? I haven’t even told anyone about being the most liked of the vigilantes, let alone being the one that scares the shit out of everyone without discrimination. _

Brody finally seemed to get past whatever was holding him back, firing up at the thought of Miles not wanting to talk about the vigilantes, most likely.

“Hey! There’s nothing wrong with talking about the vigilantes! I don’t care if it bores you or something, there’s tons of value in discussing the current events in our city.”

Miles grew a bit gloomier. “And, what, you think they all deserve praise?”

“Hell yes!”

“Even Dark Gunner?”

The group as a whole tensed up, Felix freezing in his spot, his brain screaming: _ Dangerous territory, abort! Dangerous territory, abort! _

Brody, tentatively, nodded his head. “Yeah, I do.”

“Why? He kills people, Brody, so why?” Miles snapped, glaring straight into Brody with eyes that could likely kill if he really meant it.

Brody, to his great credit, didn’t waver. “Because he has far more guts than I do. We can only acknowledge the fact that they’re protecting us all and praise them, but those vigilantes? They’re actually doing something in this gang-ridden city. Even if it’s something unnoticeably small sometimes, it’s more than we’re doing, isn’t it? Certainly more good than the cops are doing. So, even if his methods are pretty detestable and I’d be dead terrified if I ever actually saw him, even if one day he’s trying to save me but fails, I’ll cheer him on. I’ll cheer all of them on. So drop that attitude, dude. It’s ungrateful.”

Miles’ face looked exactly how Felix felt in that moment, clearly reading the vibe of: “Holy shit.”

Despite how much Felix wanted to dig into it all, how much he wanted to find out why Miles discredited himself, how much he wanted to lighten the mood, he couldn’t. He just watched on as the silence spread among the group.

Brody finally seemed to realize he’d had a major outburst and went bright red. “Oh, uh, shit, um, I’m sorry, that was way too intense.”

Miles waved him off. “No, don’t worry about it. I was being antagonistic.”

Jett let out a long whistle, ruffling up Miles’ hair. “Yeah, you were, but when  _ aren’t _ you a big ol’ grump?”

“That was actually the first time he’s gotten that intense to us,” Felix chimed in. “Or, at least, gotten like that with actions instead of just generally being scary.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Felix,” Miles grumbled, swatting away Jett’s hand.

Felix grinned, ready to make a joke and bring the conversation back into a lighter tone, when he suddenly felt a wave of lightheadedness hit him. He chose to lean against Brody, letting out a heavy sigh.

“You good there?” Ash inquired, snickering at his expense.

Felix nodded to acknowledge the question. “Yeah… but boy do I miss my midday coffee…”

Miles laughed again but it definitely wasn’t due to their shared humor.

* * *

As the week passed on, Felix came to figure out that he wasn’t going to catch a break just because school had started.

It had started off with Brody hypothesizing about the vigilantes but soon enough, it was the hot topic on the news as well. Due to a clearer than normal photo of KeyMaster, the news reporters were able to establish a likely profile of her, leading the police to place a warrant on her as well. 

When that happened on Tuesday night… the vigilante had  _ not _ been happy about it. She hadn’t quite  _ ranted  _ about it, that was too strong a word. It was more like an overly-accurate takedown of the police and their motives as well as their hypocrisy; a logical argument that had Felix a little less sympathetic for the police in this situation than he had been prior. 

Wednesday came with news of several bodies found down on the West Side, all identified as members of a smaller gang called Bloody Bones. Nobody could really prove it but it was pretty obviously Dark Gunner who did it. Finding that out in the morning made it a bit harder to look Miles in the eye that day.

Thursday was perhaps the most controversial of all. Newcoast City’s mayor, John O. Soverin, came out in support of the vigilante activity. For a lot of people, it was exactly what they wanted to hear -- blatant support of the city’s protectors. Others argued that the vigilantes weren’t superheroes, they were fighting crime  _ illegally _ , and Felix honestly couldn’t figure out which side he agreed with most.

Friday -- thank god -- was quiet. The news was still talking about the vigilantes to a degree, but nothing  _ new _ had happened, so Felix felt a bit more relaxed.

The night, actually, was excruciatingly slow. The four vigilantes had met up and tried to find something to punch around a little to relieve stress, but it was likely all the vigilante news over the week had the regular crooks a bit cautious. 

After their fourth stop together, Felix suggested they just go to the bell tower at Havenden and chill for a while. Magic Bat had wholeheartedly agreed and his enthusiasm hadn’t left much room for an argument from the other two vigilantes.

Apparently, “too pure” was a powerful negotiation tactic. Huh.

At first, Felix had somewhat worried about if Dark Gunner and KeyMaster would even be able to get up there but apparently there was nothing to worry about. KeyMaster had finally shown off how she often easily ambushed Felix on buildings -- apparently her giant key can expand even more in height at a slow rate and retract at a fast rate -- and Dark Gunner simply went around the back of the building and was already up there when Felix finally shimmied his way up the drain pipe.

He was beginning to feel a little physically inferior, if he was being honest.

As per routine, the moment he sat down overlooking the city spread out in front of them, KeyMaster passed out a few cans of coffee and went on to pester Felix.

“So, Scarfy, what’s with the frowny face?” She asked, taking a long sip of her drink.

Felix just rolled his eyes. 

“As if you can see my face… actually, you didn’t even see my eye-roll just now, so that gesture was useless… damn, it’s hard to be sarcastic in a mask,” he bemoaned.

She hummed. “Fair enough. But you do seem kinda tense.”

“You are too.”

“I’m not saying  _ fair enough _ again so you better spill, Scarfy,” the girl threatened.

Felix laughed lightly, raising his hands in surrender. “Fine, fine, but only cause I’ll take any chance possible to be melodramatic… I just… think I probably have the lamest abilities out of all of us…”

KeyMaster hummed. “Huh, I mean, when you think of it that way, I guess it’s true enough…”

“I think you mean  _ fair enough _ ,” Magic Bat cut in.

“Yeah, for the record, who spread that to the rest of us? I’ve noticed myself saying it way too often,” Dark Gunner grumbled.

The other three stared at the gunman, Felix breaking into a large grin. “Dude, I’m pretty sure it was  _ you _ .”

Dark Gunner didn’t respond for a moment. “Oh… nevermind, then.”

Magic Bat, thankfully, got the conversation back on track. “Wait, but Scarfy, isn’t Flex like, the coolest thing any of us could even imagine?”

_ “I like this kid more every single time we see him.” _

KeyMaster stiffened. “Flex? Isn’t that the name you gave your scarf? Also, Magic Bat, I don’t know if you should be encouraging him here…”

Magic Bat huffed. “But I believe him.”

Dark Gunner leaned closer into the conversation. “Believe him about what, exactly?”

The warlock simply turned to look at Felix, giving him the reigns. Felix sighed but took over.

“So, my scarf, right? It should be pretty obvious by now it’s not just, you know, a normal scarf. Not with the punch it can pack,” he explained, trying his best to keep his voice clear. “But, uh, it also is, kinda, well…”

_ “Spit it out, Fifi.” _

Felix laughed a little at the nickname, his own mood brightening a little while his companions looked all the more confused. 

“Okay, so he’s kinda like an A.I.? He damn near has a mind of his own but it’s also pretty obvious he’s a program from the way he talks and what he says. And when I say talk, well, for some reason I’m the only one who can hear him. At least from the confusion I garner whenever I reply to him in front of others,” Felix explained, relaxing into the conversation. 

KeyMaster seemed insanely intrigued. “So that’s how you’ve been able to pick up on stuff like Dark Gunner ambushing us or that stuff in the park?”

“He has better sensory scanning skills than most people, yeah.”

“Yet I still sneak up on you.”

“He’s not perfect. Even if you’re not all that stealthy.”

_ “Hey! I’m plenty perfect! Take that back, you nerdy caffeine addict with no social life!” _

“None of what you just said was an insult, Flex,” the teen smirked, not bothering to explain himself to the others this time.

Dark Gunner’s brows furrowed. “Why call him  _ Flex _ ?”

_ “Huh… it  _ is _ annoyingly similar to  _ Felix _ , isn’t it?”  _ The scarf mused.

Felix shrugged, truthfully answering, “It’s what he said his name was when I first booted him up.”

That sent an odd vibe into the air.

“You don’t know how you got him?” KeyMaster asked.

Deflecting the question, Felix simply asked, “Oh, and are you gonna tell us the origin of your giant-ass key?”

She scoffed. “Ugh, fine, you got me there. Fair’s fair, though, so I’ll share a bit about what I can do as well, since I was the one who asked you in the first place.”

Twisting to grab her key from behind her, she spun it around showily. “It’s actually quite light, despite how hard it hits. Makes it easy to swing around. Also, as you saw earlier, it sorta, like, extends. Not fast enough to use in combat, unfortunately, but great for scaling buildings.”

Felix smiled, nodding. “Any other physical traits? I’m nowhere as agile as Magic Bat, but I’m still definitely faster than most people. I also heal quicker, something I’ve not let go to waste.”

Dark Gunner laughed. “That how you survived falling from a building?”

“In part. I’m also starting to regret sharing that now that you bring it up all the time. I already got enough of it from Flex when it happened, I don’t need more of it.”

Magic Bat rolled his eyes. “Then Flex is far saner than you are.”

“Says the guy who, as far as I can tell, proves  _ magic _ is real,” Felix chided, and then, before the warlock could even reply, he suddenly remembered one of his burning questions.

“Oh, right! What’s with the sort of glamour over your features half the time?”

Magic Bat, disappointingly, looked confused. “What about my what?”

Felix deflated. “You don’t know? When you’re not expressing a clear emotion, your facial features are all blurry.”

The warlock was still confused. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“No, I’ve noticed it too,” KeyMaster chimed in. “It really annoyed me but I kept forgetting to ask about it.” 

Dark Gunner nodded, muttering a brief, “Same.”

Magic Bat hummed. “I guess I never noticed that. Sorry, guys, I can’t explain that one.”

Felix groaned, slumping backward and laying down. “Dammit, I’ve been wanting to figure that out for forever.”

“Okay, wait,” KeyMaster interrupted, breaking Felix’s grumbles. “Do you know how any of your -- I refuse to admit it’s actual magic -- works?”

Magic Bat pondered it for a moment before shaking his head. “I mean, I know how to use it, but I don’t know why it’s a thing at all. I don’t really know it’s origin.”

KeyMaster joined Felix in his moping, flopping down on her back as well. “Gross. Hey, Scarfy, we really gotta show these guys how a proper scientific analysis is done.”

“Fucking agreed…” Felix breathed out.

Slowly, he turned to look at Dark Gunner.

The blonde just shrugged. “I have good aim.”

A moment of silence passed between the group before Felix cracked a grin. 

“I’d say that explanation is  _ fair enough _ .”

The other three let out annoyed groans. 

The group was silent for another moment before the warlock broke it. 

“So, uh, anyone want to share a bit more about themselves? Obviously not anything revealing, but, you know, I don’t even know any of your favorite colors…”

It was such a simple request that Felix couldn’t help but smile warmly. 

“Mine’s green,” he offered.

KeyMaster cleared her throat, obviously a little hesitant. “Purple’s nice…”

Dark Gunner sighed. “Take a wild guess.” 

Felix grinned. “Wild? Sure! I say… neon yellow.”

The obvious frown on the gunman’s face was quite satisfying.

Magic Bat laughed lightly. “Gotta say mine’s gold. Okay, then, favorite… not drink cause that’s obvious… favorite restaurant?”

Dark Gunner shrugged. “So long as they don’t ask you what you want ingredient by ingredient and it’s not too expensive, I don’t really mind. Seafood is popular on the West Side, though.”

Deciding it wouldn’t hurt too much to be truthful, Felix replied, “There’s this kinda local cafe in the heart of the city. Not only does it have some good coffee but its pastries are pretty good, too. Quirky workers, though.”

KeyMaster stiffened up considerably, sitting back up to look down the scarf-clad vigilante. “Are you talking about  _ Popchester’s _ ?”

Felix slowly sat up as well. “You know it?”

She made a bit of a noise in her throat. “Uh, yeah, it was gonna be my answer, too.”

The fact that he and KeyMaster were both likely regulars at the same cafe almost refused to register in Felix’s brain. He had to stop himself from trying to recall any rude office-women he’d seen there recently.

“Oh my God… we may have even seen each other,” Felix realized, affronted. “That’s too weird. I don’t like it.”

KeyMaster nodded. “I’m gonna choose not to think about it. Batty, you haven’t answered.”

Magic Bat was busy hiding his snickers so he had to calm down before he answered. “Well, I’m a broke college student, so anything works, really. Next question?”

“Please,” KeyMaster begged.

Magic Bat was still chuckling as he asked, “Okay, um, if you had to have an ability or power you don’t already have, what would it be?”

Felix grinned. “The ability to never require sleep. I’d get so much more done.”

Dark Gunner chimed in quickly as well. “Flight. Easier to get the drop on people.”

Images of blue-gold wings flashed into Felix’s mind but he ushered them out quickly as they came.

The next reply came from KeyMaster. “I guess I’d like something a bit more elegant than a giant melee weapon. Speed, maybe?”

Magic Bat looked personally offended. “Are you serious? I’d give anything to have more strength. If I could be like a shonen hero from anime, I could die happy.”

Somehow, Felix didn’t think the image of a big, muscled fighter fit the overly-innocent, sort-of lanky, pink-haired boy in front of him.

In fact, just the mental image of a bodybuilder Magic Bat had him suppressing chuckles. 

Dark Gunner spoke up in his place. “You, know, I really don’t see it.”

KeyMaster simply shrugged. “I literally can’t see it. Never watched anime before.”

Magic Bat froze up, looking over at the girl, golden eyes widening in shock. “You… really? How can you  _ live _ ? You’ve never even seen  _ Pokemon _ ?”

KeyMaster just shook her head, prompting their warlock to put his hand over his heart in an overdramatic fashion. 

_ “I think you’ve been a bad influence on him,” _ Flex snarked.

__ “Shut up,” Felix whispered back.

“C’mon, Key,” Dark Gunner spoke up, “Even  _ I’ve  _ seen  _ Pokemon _ .”

The girl bristled. “Listen, I won’t take criticism from someone who thinks it’s socially acceptable to wear sunglasses at night.”

Dark Gunner groaned. “I’ve already mentioned they’re not normal sunglasses, haven’t I?”

Felix grinned. “What, so it’s not just aim?”

The blonde grumbled. “It doesn’t help me  _ aim _ , just to locate people. There’s really not that much to it.”

Felix scanned the other two vigilantes, locking eyes -- as much as he could -- with Magic Bat and nodding.

The warlock smiled brightly. “Well, that’s fair enough!”

While Magic Bat sat, looking endearingly proud of himself for being the one to make the joke, the other two vigilantes groaned in exasperation.

Felix was pulled away from his own pride at his set-up, however, by KeyMaster asking another question.

“Okay, Scarfy, one more thing: What’s with the constant grin? I’ve seriously only seen you not smiling about five times. And if I know  _ anything _ about you, it’s that you can’t be  _ that _ happy.”

Felix huffed playfully. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

He’d meant to ignore the question until he saw that Dark Gunner and Magic Bat were also watching him closely for an answer.

So, rather cheekily, he simply replied, “Well, we all have our personas, right? And if my humor distracts the enemy, my grin is bound to unsettle them!”

* * *

The night wore on.

KeyMaster and Dark Gunner couldn’t stick around forever, breaking off to complete their own patrols not long after their little break. Magic Bat simply stated that he had nobody better to spend his time with, which was both a compliment and slightly worrying.

But the warlock had still stuck around and Felix would never complain about something like that.

The night continued to be dreadfully slow, though, so by the time it was around 2:30 am, Felix was convinced he wouldn’t have to lift a finger that night. It was honestly kinda nice -- Magic Bat was always great company and refreshing to listen to, even if he’d begun to tease Felix a little more since he’d been introduced to KeyMaster.

That girl was seriously a bad influence if she could get  _ Magic Bat _ to be sarcastic. And Felix couldn’t even be angry at her.

After all, she brought him coffee.

Magic Bat spent a lot of the night talking about anime. Apparently, just one mention of it was enough to get excitement sparked up. Felix couldn’t specifically relate but it was endearing to watch nonetheless. The warlock was usually so passive about things so hearing him rave about something in a likeness to Brody was somewhat comforting.

In the midst of one conversation, in which the warlock was describing something or other from a show Felix had quickly forgotten the name of, the pinkette suddenly straightened into alertness as a card materialized in front of him.

“Scarfy,” he said urgently, catching Felix’s full attention. “There’s some commotion going on in a building a block over… 8975 7th Street. Eleventh floor. Looks a bit like domestic violence but I’m pretty sure it’s an office building so I can’t assume the details.”

Felix nodded, quickly landing his eyes on the building. “Okay, let’s split up. You go in from the roof, I’ll go in from the ground up. Whoever gets there first puts a stop to the perpetrator and calls the police, second to get there makes sure the victim is okay. See you there.”

Neither of them waited before separately running off.

Felix ran as fast as he could, not even bothering to use the cover of buildings as he made his way over. If he bumped into someone every now and then, it wasn’t his problem.

He didn’t bother trying the front entrance of the building once he got there, instead immediately rounding into the alleyway behind it to find a back entrance, hopefully with a stairwell attached.

When the emergency exit came into sight, he couldn’t keep the grin off his face, rushing up to throw it open before he encountered a before-unseen issue.

The door was locked.

Completely floored by how he’d omitted a plan to actually enter the building, he scanned the building for any other way in.

When he found none, his eyes settled on the card-lock next to the door.

“Flex,” he called out. “Any chance you can hack electronics?”

_ “I’m not aware of something like that, no.” _

__ “Can you try?” He insisted, pulling on the door again for extra emphasis.

His scarf was silent for a moment before it finally replied,  _ “I don’t know what you expect to happen, Felix.” _

__ Growling now, Felix grabbed Flex and held the scarf up to the lock. “It’s better than not trying at all, right?”

_ “Fine, we’ll try.” _

Felix hastily pressed Flex against the lock and, desperately, tried to will it to work. He felt silly, not even knowing if something like this was possible, but trying nonetheless. 

For a brief moment, it felt like something in the air changed. The world seemed to melt away, Felix’s mind sparking as he tried to imagine the specific components within the lock that would need to change in order to come undone.

And then a mechanical beep resounding through the air, bringing Felix back into reality as he saw an LED light glowing green.

Wasting no more time, he flung the door open, grinning and charging up the stairwell.

“Good job there, Flex!” He yelled as he ran up, feeling more energized than he could remember being in a while.

Flex didn’t seem as excited.  _ “Felix, that wasn’t--” _

Felix cut his scarf off. “Now that I know you can do that, it’ll definitely come in handy!”

He was nearing the eleventh floor already.

_ “Felix, I’m telling you I didn’t open the door!” _

And then he crashed to a stop.

“What do you mean?” He asked, letting his friend’s words seep into him, burning his mind as he mulled them over.

_ “I wasn’t the one who unlocked the door. I don’t think I can do stuff like that after all. It was either someone else in the building or--” _

Flex didn’t continue, letting the implications hit Felix like a truck.

“Or it was…”

Felix couldn’t bring himself to say it and instead shoved the thoughts out of his mind.

“We don’t have time for this! C’mon!”

He pushed ahead, ignoring Flex’s insistent complaints that he had to think about this.

Because he didn’t. He wouldn’t.

As he slammed the door to Floor 11 open, he immediately heard the noise of yelling and flew toward the commotion to intercept the next hit.

He caught up to the scene just in time and, instead of blocking the hit, let it land on his face.

He didn’t curse, spit, or even wince at the burst of pain. He just grinned and said, “Thanks for waking me up, pal.”

Then he returned the favor.

He wasn’t quite sure how hard he had hit the man but the guy didn’t seem motivated to get up again so he considered the job done and quickly bound the man’s wrists together.

He spared a glance at the woman behind him, visibly shaking and crying, but turned his attention away and found an office phone instead, quickly dialing 911. 

By the time he was done and turned back around, Magic Bat was already comforting the woman.

He let them be, giving a quick warning about leaving before the cops arrive, and left. The quick action had distracted him enough for the time being but he knew the adrenaline would wear off soon and he couldn’t let Magic Bat see him having one of his existential crises. 

By the time Magic Bat would realize he’d left, he’d already be clear of the building.

_ “Felix, we need to talk about this,”  _ Flex continued to insist, even as he crawled through the window back into his room.

“I don’t want to,” the teen replied for the thousandth time, quickly shoving the backpack with Flex in it into his closet. 

_ “Why wouldn’t you want to!? This is important!” _ Flex demanded, voice now muffled and quieter, as if he were farther away.

And there it was. That simple question that always sent his mind short-circuiting. In the end, it was just a simple “why.”

Though, he’d slowly been coming to understand the answer past simply being scared of the implications involved in fully discussing it.

Quietly, he moved to his bed and slumped down, covering his eyes and trying not to cry.

He asked a question of his own: “Flex… there’s something wrong with my head, isn’t there?”

His scarf didn’t answer, leaving him alone with his thoughts for once. He wished it wouldn’t. 


	13. [Kiss Ignor(BLISS)ance Goodbye]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Local Child's Coffee Trip Goes Wrong (Story at 11)

“Don’t even start on that.”

“I’m  _ just _ pointing out how weird you act, Brody-boy.”

“Ash, let it go.”

“Aww, is the nerd  _ embarrassed _ ? Y’know, Brode, there’s no need to be. It’s a natural reaction for a boy when he’s so--”

Ash gave a sudden yelp, bringing Felix back into focus on their conversation. He’d only been half-listening previously, too caught up in his own thoughts.

His friends were currently fixing glares at one another. 

“The fuck was that for, Brode-meister?” Ash seethed, glare broken by their pout.

Brody rolled his eyes and gestured to the door, bringing attention to the fact that the rest of their group had arrived. 

Felix quickly processed that Miles and Jett had indeed just walked through the door of  _ Popchester’s _ and once again had the sinking feeling that he was mixing his worlds a bit too much.

It was all Brody’s fault, honest.

The teen had come up with the revelation that their little group needed to hang out outside of school more and hadn’t even hesitated before demanding they all go to  _ Popchester’s _ together after school that day. Normally, this wouldn’t be anywhere  _ near _ an issue to Felix -- coffee was good, coffee was great, coffee should run for President of the United States -- but the fact that he’d recently mentioned  _ Popchester’s _ to Miles when he was a vigilante gave him pause about letting Miles know the cafe was also  _ Felix’s _ favorite place.

He could only hope the guy was a bit less perceptive today than he normally was.

He didn’t exactly know what Brody and Ash had been arguing about but half-listening in had been enough of a distraction. Now he had to look one of his fears in the eyes.

If this went wrong, he was  _ so _ blaming Brody.

Brody had immediately dragged Felix and Ash along but the other two had said they’d be slightly late and just get there themselves. Felix was pretty sure they just saw Brody dragging Felix and Ash by their ears and had wanted to avoid that at all costs.

Now that they were here, though, Felix had no more time to consider running for it.

Jett looked a little more hesitant of making his way over with the waves of irritation rolling off of the group but Miles didn’t seem bothered as he quickly trudged over and plopped into the empty seat next to Felix. Jett followed soon enough.

As greetings flew around the table, Felix couldn’t muster more than a few small smiles. It earned him some slightly concerned looks but, thankfully, nobody asked.

Conversation sparked up again. Brody was talking most. Felix watched on, half tuned-out.

“...oh, Jett, we have Anatomy together, right?”

“Oh, yeah, we do.”

“Do you happen to be any good at it? I’m already lost and Felix said he was too busy to help.”

There was laughter. “Sorry, even if you’re lost, I’m willing to bet I’m worse off.”

A harsh scoff came from next to Felix. “Please, Jett, didn’t you say you were already done with the homework for this month?”   
  


“I never said  _ I _ was the one who did the work, did I? Give my contacts more credit, Blondie.”

“Oooh, you have contacts now? Whatever happened to our bond?”

“You were just the first of many, Ash. He’s a contact-whore.”

“Hey! I take offense to that! If anything, I’m a contact-connoisseur.”

“Don’t start using fancy words this late in your life, Jett.”

Felix had to admit it was nice to just be normal for a minute but it still wasn’t enough to cool his head off. No matter what, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t manage to get what happened last Friday out of his mind. It had been buried for so long but suddenly it was surging to the forefront and all he wanted was to forget it but he still kept remembering how he had--

“Felix! You good there, buddy?”

There were fingers snapping in front of his face, Brody’s voice pulling him back into the moment.

It took him a moment to catch up. “Oh, uh, yeah, sorry. I, uh, just…”

He saw the unconvinced look on Brody’s face.

Felix sighed. “Sorry, I don’t really want to talk about it. But it’s not that important, I promise.”

Brody still didn’t look entirely assured but it seemed he appreciated that Felix didn’t try to lie.

“Well, hopefully, some coffee will wake you up, right?” A new voice broke through, startling Felix as he snapped his attention up to his favorite barista.

“Ross! Holy crap, man, I didn’t even notice you were over here!” Felix exclaimed, catching his breath from the scare.

Ross rose an eyebrow. “Yeah, obviously. Everyone else ordered and you were just staring off into space. Did you have another long night?”

Brody chuckled. “Long night? Please, Felix never stops sleeping.”

It was Ross’ turn to look unconvinced. “Uhh, sure. Felix, latte with extra espresso?”

Felix smiled. “Yeah, that would be perfect.”

The redhead shared his smile. “Get some better sleep tonight, okay?”

Felix doubted he would but he nodded along anyway.

Miles shot him a look. “When you said you were a coffee-lover…”

“He meant he comes here so much that the baristas know what drinks correspond to which moods, yeah,” Brody explained.

Miles muttered something so quietly Felix was sure he was the only one who heard it: “I guess that’s what he meant when he said the workers were quirky.”

Felix couldn’t help it: He straight-up flinched. “Uh, what?”

The blonde looked shocked that Felix had heard it. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just… a friend of mine mentioned this place recently. The description matches up.”

Slowly, Felix just nodded, not wanting to draw any more connections.

Still, though…  _ he called Scarfboy a friend. _

The thought finally put a smile on his face.

He leaned back into the conversation a bit more attentively. Brody looked excited about something and was seemingly starting a long monologue about it. 

Felix caught a few words and… oh.

“...it came out last week, actually! It was just rumors at first but, apparently, someone said they had pictures but didn’t want to post them immediately. So it was all just speculation for a minute there before the pictures finally came. There was a video, too! And it’s so clear that there’s really no other way to explain what happened!”

“Hold up,” Miles broke in. “I’m lost. What’s this all about?”

Brody gave a heavy sigh, dramatically rolling his eyes. “I’m talking about Scarfboy, duh, Miles. A video popped up of him hacking an electric lock with, like, nothing. He did it all on his own! Which means he must be able to control electronics to some extent! And here everyone was wondering about the powers of the other vigilantes… Maybe he’s like, a cyborg or something!? How awesome would that be!?”

Felix didn’t think it was very awesome at all.

In fact, it was a train of thought he’d been trying to avoid all week. And suddenly, even the conversation of his four friends was too much for him. It was loud, harsh, piercing into his mind and burning him with every syllable.

It was too much… but he could still hear it.

Miles said something, not sounding very pleased either. Felix couldn’t focus his mind enough to work out why.

Ross brought them their drinks at some point but Felix didn’t even touch his.

Vaguely he heard: “Ash, did you just hit on the extortionist barista?”

“At least I have enough guts to, Brody-boy.”

There was a quick change of subject.

It wasn’t to a good subject.

“--the mainstream media had finally noticed the video, as well. The funniest part is that some of them are starting to call the vigilante  _ Scarf-bot _ , which is a ridiculous name that I  _ kinda _ love--”

Felix decided he’d probably change his name to “Scarfboy” if the alternative was “Scarf-bot.”

Another voice joined in. “Hey, does anyone else think his scarf kinda looks like those snake-tie-things we made in elementary school?”

“Holy shit, you’re right, Ash! It’s just flat!” 

Where  _ had _ he gone to elementary school? He couldn’t remember.

He couldn’t remember.

The room felt stuffy, almost as if his own thoughts were choking him. He could hear his own heart as he struggled to focus on something,  _ anything _ , to calm down.

He couldn’t calm down.

Something inside him triggered, probably his fight-or-flight response, and he suddenly shot up from his seat.

“Felix?” He heard Brody ask quietly. “What’s wrong?”

He couldn’t answer.

So he left.

He just rushed out of the cafe, hearing some slight shouts of concern behind him but he simply ignored them as he pushed his way through the crowds of passing pedestrians. If he looked back, he might see Brody and the thought of worrying his friend sent a pang through his chest but he also couldn’t risk having to explain any of this.

Maybe he’d see Miles and that could be even worse. 

He made the mistake of closing his eyes for a second, trying desperately to block out the world around him; to let his mind rest for even a moment.

But that same second he closed his eyes, he collided with someone. He was knocked completely off-balance, sure he’d fall over. He kept his eyes closed as he prepared to hit the ground, which is why he was so surprised as his arms were gripped and he was steadied.

The person he bumped into had caught him. 

Blearily, he opened his eyes, surprised not to even be at eye-level with the stranger, and tilted his head up a little more to see who the person was.

If he hadn’t recognized the blonde hair, the determined hazel eyes would have tipped him off.

“Felix!? Hey, what’s wrong? Oh my god, why are you crying?”

Was he crying? His face felt hot but he couldn’t really tell. 

The boy in front of him continued, arms tightening their grip. “Felix, answer me.”

Sighing and wiping his eyes, Felix resigned himself to the situation.

“I thought you… I thought you said you’d stay away, Candor.”

Candor had the decency to look embarrassed. “Well, uh, yeah. About that, there  _ is _ a reason I’m here-- oh… is that why you’re all shaken up?”   
  


Felix was somewhat unsure of answering for a moment but shook the question away in the end.

“We need to talk, don’t we?” 

Candor’s face grew a bit darker. “Are you okay with that?”

Quietly, Felix nodded. “Yeah, I, um… I think I have to be… I need to know…”

Candor glanced around them quickly before returning his attention to Felix. “Any place you wanna talk specifically? This isn’t a conversation for the middle of the street. Plus, people are starting to stare…”

Felix removed himself from Candor’s grip, gesturing for him to follow.

“We can go to my house,” he said. “My pa--... Juliana and Chester aren’t home.”

~

Felix caught a bus last minute, ushering the tall blonde in first. Candor seemed somewhat awkward and unsure of himself as the ride bore on, and while Felix certainly didn’t blame him -- he himself was hardly even talking -- he couldn’t spare the energy to worry about it for the time.

By the time he was leading Candor up the walkway to his house, he was feeling a bit more confident and stable. He’d had enough time to catch his breath.

Until, that is, he checked his phone and saw he had three texts from Jett, four texts from Ash, eleven texts from Miles, and a whopping thirty-four texts and three missed calls from Brody.

He still didn’t really regret leaving but, oh boy, did worrying his friends make him feel like shit.

He shot Brody a quick text --  **[Me: I’m sorry for running off. I’m okay tho. Home now. See you tomorrow.]** \-- and unlocked his door, letting Candor in.

Felix observed the blonde as he inspected the surroundings. It was both a little funny and a little terrifying, especially when, after being lead to the living room -- Candor voiced one of his observations.

“You don’t have any photos,” was all he said but it was enough to send a pang through Felix.

Felix followed Candor’s gaze to his walls. “Oh… you’re right… I guess I didn’t notice  _ everything _ , huh?”

Candor turned his piercing hazel eyes onto Felix.

“And what exactly  _ have _ you noticed?”

The brunette couldn’t find it within himself to respond properly.

“Coffee!” Felix blurted out. “I, uh, well, hospitality and all that. I’ll be, uh, right back.”

And he made a retreat to the kitchen to collect himself.

He only had a few minutes -- for once, he cursed his amazingly fast coffee-maker -- but managed to collect his thoughts in the meantime.

Candor obviously wanted to talk more about… the stuff that Felix didn’t remember. Which was okay: Felix wanted to know more, too. He  _ had _ to know more. The situation had reached its breaking point and he had no other choice.

But he was still a bit intimidated by it all so he had to take it easy here. If one easy question sent him spluttering to the kitchen to hide, he’d never learn anything.

Once the coffee was done -- stupid fast machine -- he took one more deep breath and went back out to face Candor.

The blonde had sat down on the couch, though he looked far from comfortable. If Felix hadn’t seen the guy jump off a building to save him, he’d say he looked like a queasy man on an airplane.

In fact, he kinda liked the joke, so he did say that. 

Candor didn’t laugh as much as Miles would have but the slightly lessened tension was enough.

The blonde started to defend himself as Felix handed him a mug. “You say that like this isn’t an extremely freaky situation. For both of us.”

Felix paused slightly before sitting down in Chester’s favorite armchair. “Yeah, forgive me for not thinking about you guys too much with all of this… That wasn’t sarcasm, I mean it. Sorry, it’s been kinda hard for me to consider you two recently.”

Candor just nodded. “No, I completely understand. Cara and I didn’t really think much at first, either. I understand why you were so averse to us before… I’d also like to apologize for just showing up like this… Cara told me we should respect your request for us to stay away but, Felix, I heard online that… that you have powers?”

Felix froze up slightly. “Yeah, I, uh… don’t really know how exactly they work. I haven’t exactly tested them again. It just… it was just too much. ‘Cause, y’know, it means you two were  _ right _ and… I didn’t want to think about that.”

Candor opened his mouth to reply but Felix swiftly cut him off. “No, actually, it wasn’t just me. It may be weird but… Candor, I think there’s something wrong in my head. Like, something that’s not… not  _ me _ , not my own thoughts. I’ll be fine one minute up until someone mentions something about my past I can’t recall, or I’m forced to think about what you guys said, and then suddenly I feel like my brain is screaming at me to leave it alone, to change the subject… to run. Just last Friday, I think that thing broke. It was too much for it. The concept now, it only scares me on a personal level. I don’t feel like the fear I feel is against my own will.”

The blonde sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Ugh, okay, well… How am I not even surprised?”

Felix frowned at him, curious, so the blonde continued.

“Well, you see,” Candor explained, taking a quick sip from his mug. “When you told us to leave… well, it kinda tore us up. We had just gotten our hopes up that you were even alive and then… well, you know.”

Felix nodded along guiltily. 

“Cara wanted to just leave things be… she’s always been like that. When someone hurts her, she likes to pretend it never happened -- that it never meant anything. But I… I don’t know. I know we poked a lot of holes in your story but you also poked a few holes in ours. I started looking and saw more and more. Something… something is  _ wrong _ about H.E.B.S…”

Felix leaned in. “Such as?”

The contemplative frown on Candor’s face was worrying, as was the nervous tapping of the boy’s foot. 

“Well… recently, they’ve started giving us lessons in combat.”

_ Yeah, ‘cause that isn’t absolutely horrifying _ , Felix thought to himself.

“It’s not just that. I have some good friends there but sometimes… they get pulled away for several days and don’t remember where they were. I think it’s happened to Cara and I a few times, too. A really good friend of ours… er, mine… he’s currently gone. Poor guy doesn’t really do well in the combat courses… Wilt’s abilities are really odd and non-aggressive.”

Felix frowned sharply. “You have a friend named  _ Wilt _ ?”

Candor sighed. “Is that really the most important thing you picked up from all that?”

“No, I just… sorry. So, you find this organization suspicious now. And I’m in a position to believe whatever you say… The holes in my memory, it’s odd, but all of a sudden they got glaringly obvious…”

Candor slowly sipped his coffee, prompting Felix to do the same in a much more hasty manner before he continued quietly.

“I, uh…” Felix whispered. “I don’t remember where I went to elementary or middle school. I knew something was wrong when I saw fireworks recently cause there’s no way I’ve seen them and still only had a neutral opinion on them -- they were brilliant. I… can’t remember ever making a pinky promise despite knowing it’s part of childhood. Stuff like that. Little stuff… but stuff that I feel kinda empty not knowing. Like I’m some sort of fake person…”

Felix looked away when he noticed Candor’s eyes getting too soft.

“So, yeah, basically… I kinda have to believe you. You’re the only person making any sense,” Felix concluded, staring into the murky, warm brown liquid in his mug, almost wishing he could drown in it.

Then again, if he could drown in coffee, that would probably be dying happy. 

Candor interrupted his musings.

“I think I might know what happened… or at least a bit of it.”

Felix was all-ears as the blonde continued.

“So, well, we mentioned this last time, but in December, there was a fire. They told us you didn’t make it. That you were working in the lab at the time and died trying to help others get out. It’s obvious you didn’t die… but you also aren’t covered in horrible burns like you were when we saw you…”

Felix shot up, feeling as if someone had slapped him. “You-- You  _ saw _ me!? And I was…”

Candor was close to looking as if he could cry. “I’ll be honest, I only recognized you because of your scarf. It was charred too, sure, but nobody else really wore scarves  _ in  _ the lab. Other than that, you were fried to a crisp…”

Felix swallowed. Hard. “Oh. That’s… oh.”

The blonde laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, sorry about the wording. It still really bothers me, though, so I kinda have to steal your whole humor-masks-the-pain deal to say it.”

It was understandable. Really, extremely horrifying, but understandable.

Candor continued on. “Anyway, your skin is obviously fine now. Like, too fine. Weird question but do you get zits?”

Felix did think it was a weird question up until he realized the answer.

“Shit, no, I… wait, what the hell? I never even thought about that…”

He didn’t even get zits. He shouldn’t have been so sad about that.

Candor nodded, though he didn’t exactly look happy about it either. “Your freckles are also gone… I… I think your skin might be partly synthetic. I don’t really understand all that sciencey stuff but I remember you talking about it at one point. A synthetic material that perfectly meshes with the organic material in such a way it becomes indistinguishable outside of a few factors… or something like that. They must have… replaced your skin? God, this is getting creepier by the minute…”

Felix felt more than slapped now. He felt chilled to the bone and if he managed to not throw up today, he’d be impressed.

Then he remembered something Cara had said.

“Candor… how much of me do you think they replaced? Cara… she said something about my eye color… Did they…”

Candor looked just as disgusted by the idea. “Shit. Fuck, um, probably.”

Felix resentfully considered his own abilities. “Actually... It’s likely they replaced a lot more than just my eyes and my skin. When I’m out fighting crime -- and now, technically, I guess -- all my abilities are just a little bit better than normal. Like, I’m faster and I can hit harder, stuff like that. I wasn’t really able to think about it before but… how deep must that synthetic stuff be to affect me like that?”

The blonde shook his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t know. That’s not really my area of expertise. I’m sure we’ll figure it out, though. More important right now is the question of why they faked your death. I’ve been considering it since we saw you again and… I just can’t wrap my mind around any solid reasoning.”

Felix considered it as well. “Maybe… maybe they messed up?”

Candor looked frighteningly alarmed. “Like how? Could it be life-threatening?”

“No… more like, memory-wise. Maybe they accidentally wiped all my memories while operating on me… but now, they wouldn’t have to hide that. If it was understood as a mistake, then they wouldn’t create a false life. So maybe a mishap happened and I learned something I wasn’t supposed to? Then they wiped my memories and, just to be safe, threw me away…” Felix wondered out-loud.

He had glanced away but when he looked back, Candor looked like a ghost.

“Felix… why can you open electric locks?” Candor asked.

And that was another thing.

“Good point…” Felix added it to his theorizing. “Okay, so maybe while they were saving me, they also enhanced me. Maybe it wasn’t supposed to happen. Maybe it was but it didn’t go the way they planned. That would explain why they’d wipe me... especially if… if I woke up at any point and realized what they were doing…”

But before he could even consider the implications of that, another thought sent him into a panic.

He wasn’t alone in this city.

“Oh my God, Candor!” He exclaimed. “The other vigilantes, you’ve heard about them, right?”

Candor looked a little confused. “Uh, yeah, vaguely. I’ve only really heard the most about Scarfboy, though.”

Felix grimaced slightly. “Please don’t-- no, that’s not important right now. The other vigilantes, they’re my friends. I even know one in my civilian life, though he doesn’t know I’m Scarfboy. But they  _ are _ my friends and… and they have odd abilities too. One has a similar strength to me and she has this giant key that extends. Another has aim that’s way better than a fourteen-year-old should have and a disregard for killing that’s even more worrying. And the warlock… well, he’s basically an actual warlock and his powers warp my perception of reality a bit. Do you think…”

He turned his eyes to gaze straight into Candor’s own.

“Do you think they also got their abilities from this place?”

Candor nodded. “Yeah, from all you’ve said, I do.”

Felix felt like crying again. 

“Shit!” He yelled. “And they probably don’t even know! What about  _ their _ pasts!? How fabricated are  _ they _ !?”

Candor looked about as shocked as Felix felt.

“And… and…” Felix continued, finally giving into his nervous energy and pacing around the room. “And since I know next to nothing about any of them, I don’t know if they could be considered at the same level of risk as I am here. Batty is a university student so he doesn’t have any family to need to be fabricated if they just… if they just made him not feel like thinking about them like they did to me… Miles is probably fine but, given that we’re about the same age, I can’t be sure. And Key-Club… I don’t know  _ anything _ about her other than her preference in drinks and that she’s a bit of a little shit, how the hell am I supposed to know if they messed with her!? I… if I can’t even help myself, how the fuck am I supposed to help  _ them _ ?”

His last sentence of his rant came out as a whisper.

Felix barely noticed Candor stand up and make his way over to him. He was too caught up in his thoughts. All he could think about was that his friends could be in danger and he had to do something or else--

He finally noticed Candor, though honestly, he hadn’t noticed the other until the guy had pulled him in for a hug. Felix didn’t often feel small -- he had an average height and an average build, if not being slightly shorter and skinnier than most -- but wow, Candor was  _ tall _ . The bear hug he’d trapped Felix in proved that.

Candor was talking. He figured he should probably listen. 

“...it’s okay, it’s okay. Calm down. We’ll figure this out, okay? But we need to keep our heads…” the blonde was saying, patting Felix’s head.

Felix felt a little embarrassed, pushing away from the other. “Thanks, but I’m not a kid. You don’t need to coddle me.”

Candor rose an eyebrow. “When all your friends are a bunch of emotionally distressed teens, most also having abandonment issues, you learn the art of comforting and accept any that comes to you.”

It was a fair point but it wasn’t Felix’s life… Okay, it kinda was, but it wasn’t the time to worry about that.

He smiled a little but still stepped away. “I’m not a very touchy person, though, so, you know.”

Candor looked understanding. “Well, I guess some things never change, huh?”

Felix looked down at his feet. “When you say we’ll figure it out, do you really mean that? Like… Can I count on you for this? I don’t know if I can do this alone… and Flex definitely doesn’t count…”

The blonde looked like he wanted to ask but seemingly reoriented himself. “Yeah, I promise, you can count on me here. Cara, too, once I get back and tell her all this. I might wait a week or two, though, cause you probably need some time before she comes bounding in and I know she’s gonna take off the moment I tell her.”

It wasn’t really a joke but it gained a chuckle from Felix nonetheless. 

“That’d be appreciated, thanks.”

Candor nodded. “I’ll make sure you get any new information I find.”

“Thank you,” Felix said again, smiling widely. That was until he remembered something else.

“Oh, and uh, Candor?” He asked tentatively. “What do you think of… of Juliana and Chester? Do you think they’ve been lying to me all this time or were they… did they have their minds wiped too?”

The question made Candor visibly uncomfortable. 

“I… can’t be entirely sure,” he replied, not meeting Felix’s eyes. “I haven’t even met them while they were here to gauge them and I probably shouldn’t on the off-chance that they are in the know. But, Felix…”

And suddenly, he  _ was _ meeting Felix’s eyes and Felix felt as if Candor really did know him inside and out. 

Candor smiled. “I wouldn’t discount them just yet. Your parents were never really there for you but…  _ they  _ were. You sorta latched onto them back at H.E.B.S. and they seemed to respond similarly. They were probably chosen due to that, whether they know or not. I’ve seen a lot of cold scientists -- they can’t fake care. Juliana and Chester did care for you, even if the situation is a little less simple than that.”

The phrasing put a smile on Felix’s face. “A little? Bird-boy, I’d say this is a  _ lot _ less simple than that. But thanks for trying.”

“There’s the humor I was hoping for.”

Felix sighed and sat down on the ground, leaning against the back of the couch, Candor following suit. 

“Okay,” he began, speaking deliberately. “Mission Objective One: Investigate H.E.B.S. to figure out why they’re actually enhancing teens. Exception to objective: Don’t put yourself in jeopardy in order to complete.”

Candor nodded along, smiling and joining in. “Mission Objective Two: Investigate their motives in sending you away. Exception shared with objective one.”

Felix took over again. “Mission Objective Three: Figure out any connection between the other vigilantes and H.E.B.S. and try to figure out the motives there as well. No exceptions apply. This one’s for me only and I’m at no risk from my friends. Objective Four: Investigate Juliana and Chester. Evaluate their suspicion. Standard exception applies.”

The blonde continued on. “Mission Objective Five: Investigate the reasoning behind the combat training. Try not to get brainwashed or tossed aside. Standard exception applies… and Objective Six…”

He glanced at Felix sadly. “Investigate ways to restore your memory. No exceptions apply.”

Felix frowned. “Candor, don’t get reckless.”

Candor scoffed. “Felix,  _ you _ of all people don’t get to say anything about being reckless. You threw yourself off a building.”

Felix grimaced, suddenly extremely interested in the ceiling. “Oh, you, uh, remember that?” 

He didn’t get yelled at like he was expecting. Instead, he heard an exasperated groan.

“Please, it was nightmare-fuel enough for several years. Please, never pull shit like that again. I may act tough but I don’t think I could handle you doing something like that again.”

Felix snickered. “Ha, you’re such a mom-friend.”

“Well,  _ excuse me _ for being the one responsible person in a world of building-leapers,” the blonde grumbled, shooting Felix a light glare.

Felix sighed, emotions contorting within him, making him simultaneously both light-heartedly jovial and overwhelmingly nauseous.

“Don’t get hurt for me, Candor,” he whispered.

Candor just smiled. “Bit too late for that. But if you wanna know what I mean by that, you’ll have to join me in the effort to get your memories back.”

“And the memories of my team,” Felix conceded, “that is, if there are any memories to recover and… oh god, I just called them my  _ team _ .”

Candor tilted his head amusedly. “You always were one to attract people like moths to a lamp. There’s just something about you. You’re incredibly friendly for how awkward you can be”

Felix grinned, something usually seen on his alter-ego. “I guess you’re right: Some things don’t change even with brainwashing…”

“Brainwashing… is that the right word for it?” Candor asked.

Shrugging, Felix just said, “I guess. It’s still kinda hard to wrap my mind around but… I’ll try. I’m absolutely terrified... but I’ll try.”

“I’ll try too. We’re in this mess together, Felix. You, me, Cara, and your team--”

“Please never let them hear you call them that.”

“--and we’ll figure it out together,” Candor finished, chuckling.

Felix was startled when Candor stood up, sending him a questioning gaze.

Candor shrugged. “I should probably get going before Juliana and Chester come back, right?”

Felix’s mouth felt dry but he gave a positive affirmation anyway, standing up himself and leading Candor to the door.

As the door opened, Candor suddenly smacked his own forehead. “Dude, we’re so stupid. Give me your phone, I’ll put in my number.”

Felix laughed as he pulled his phone out. “Wow, yeah, that could’ve been dumb.”

Candor’s eyes flew wide open as he saw Felix’s notifications. “Holy shit. Who’s this Brody guy? He’s sent you over a hundred texts.”

Felix’s eye twitched. “Yeah, when you ran into me, I kinda upped and ran from a meet-up with some friends. Brody’s a bit of a worry-wart.”

The blonde boy sighed as he continued on, “Of course he is, he’s friends with  _ you _ .”

Before he handed Felix his phone back, Candor brought out his wallet and pulled out a picture.

“Here,” he offered it to Felix. “I want you to have this. I know you don’t… remember it but it was a really good day for us three. I’d be happy to know you at least have one picture from the past in this house.”

Curiously, Felix inspected the picture as he pocketed his phone. It was the same one Cara had shown him on her phone back when they first met… or reunited, as it were. Cara, obviously holding the phone and smiling brightly. Candor and Felix both look a little caught off-guard. Candor actually looked a bit shorter here, hinting that this picture was probably a few years old.

And Felix… man, he looked really nerdy in this picture. Sweater-vests weren’t an entirely bad look but the one in the picture was super tacky. His glasses, as well, were much more square and… the eyes behind those glasses were a shimmering aqua. 

He’d never necessarily disliked his gray eyes before -- they were just his eyes. But this? It proved they were unnatural. 

He almost hated the picture. He  _ should _ hate the picture, truly, but for some reason…

He smiled back up at Candor, cheeks feeling hot as he said, “Thanks, Candor. Really.”

Candor frowned and wiped a tear from Felix’s face -- he was crying again? -- but tried to smile back all the same.

“No problem. If anything… thank you for taking it.”

Just before Candor closed the door behind him, he turned to look back at Felix one last time.

“Oh, and Felix? Get some rest, okay?”

Felix wasn’t entirely sure how to respond so he just nodded dumbly and waved the blonde off.

And then he was alone, left to contemplate everything by himself…

... or, he would be as soon as he explained it all to Flex.

Yeah, cause that was going to be the epitome of fun.


	14. [Sick and Tired]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bad day, cumulatively.

Some days, Felix really didn’t know why he tried anymore.

After everything that had happened the day before -- all the dissociation and the running away and the revelations and the explanations -- he just  _ had _ to wake up sick the next morning. Sure, that was totally, completely fair.

He had initially been dumb-founded by the sudden cold before he’d checked his phone.

Felix groaned as the bright light hit his eyes, navigating his way to the overflowing text messages that must’ve popped up overnight.

Making sure he spoke loud enough that Flex could hear him, he read the first message from Brody out loud.

“‘Apparently Ash was sick yesterday and got me sick too, that jerk. How are you doing? Apparently, Jett is completely fine,’” he rolled his eyes, finally picking up on Brody’s behavior regarding Jett before continuing to the next text. “‘I don’t think I can make it to school today but that doesn’t mean you’re getting out of talking to me. I’m super fucking worried about you, man, so I expect more than a half-assed excuse this time.’”

_ “Sounds like you’re in for a rough day, kiddo,”  _ Flex commented from his place beneath Felix’s pillow. The scarf, however, didn’t sound like he was enjoying Felix’s suffering like he normally did, tone instead bordering on sympathetic.

“Colds last more than a day, Flex. This is gonna be a rough  _ week _ ,” Felix corrected before continuing onto the next text. “‘Hey, asshat, I know your alarm goes off at six. You whined about it last week. Answer me.’”

_ “Pfft. Your best friend just called you an asshat,” _ Flex snickered, mood suddenly shifted closer to his normal mockery.

Felix smiled a little at the statement before reading on. “‘Don’t make me start calling you by Ross’ nicknames.’ ‘Fili, answer me, dammit. Please tell me you don’t have some weird gene combo that reacted poorly with Ash’s plague.’ ‘Fifi?!’ ‘Fido!?!?’” 

Felix shushed Flex -- who was laughing hard enough it was threatening to become contagious -- and typed back a reply. 

_ “What’d you tell him?” _ His scarf asked.

Felix managed a crooked grin. “‘Ross would never compare me to a dog, how dare you? He’s not into bestiality, anyhow.’ Now he’s just cussing me out. Hey, Flex, he just called me a nugget-brain. What on earth does that even mean?”

_ “Hell if I know, kiddo. It’s Brody-speak.” _

The teen rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna tell him I’ll talk to him later cause I slept past my alarm and have a math test today. All of which is true, by the way. Is there any way you could create a hologram of me to take the test in my place?”

_ “Negative, unfortunately. It would be quite useful to have that feature in my programming, though. Any chance you could get on that, Mr. Teen-Scientist?” _

Felix’s smile faded a little at the reminder of what Candor had told him about himself, expression returning to the grumpy one he’d woken up with as he resentfully pulled himself out of his bed. He quickly arranged his school books back into his backpack properly and made the snap-decision to stuff Flex in there as well. He wasn’t exactly sure why, maybe it was a comfort thing after everything he’d had to accept the day before, but he felt the need to have Flex on him. 

Maybe he was just getting too emotionally attached to a  _ scarf _ . He didn’t really care, in the end.

Making his way out into the kitchen was equivalent to a trek into the deep trenches of hell. He knew for a fact that he probably couldn’t handle another minute sans-coffee without passing out again, he also knew his… that Juliana was likely already awake. He knew he couldn’t just avoid the pair but he’d be damned if he wasn’t exactly keen on seeing them immediately. There was just…  _ too much _ to consider. Until he knew for sure what their game was, he couldn’t trust them 100%. Still, despite that, all his -- false, wrong, made-up, lacking -- memories claimed they were his parents and it  _ felt _ true. For all he had found out, he still  _ wanted _ to trust them, wanted to  _ like _ them, because, even if he knew the memories were fake, that was still all he’d ever known or  _ felt _ as if he’d known.

The situation sucked, basically.

Juliana was, in fact, awake. She gave him the same warm -- if not slightly mocking -- smile she always did when she saw him, throwing another wrench into his heart.

“Morning, kiddo,” she greeted, acting as if Felix’s entire world  _ hadn’t _ imploded just yesterday. “What’s the story behind your sleeping in today?”

Felix stood completely still for a moment, caught up in simply observing her behavior before he processed the question.

“Oh! Uh…” he startled, stumbling for words. “Looks like Ash got me sick yesterday. I’m still going to school but I kinda feel like I just rolled out of the grave.”

He tried to laugh at his attempt at a joke but it quickly fell flat. He was just telling the truth, how could  _ not _ lying be so hard?

Juliana frowned. “Do you need to stay home?”

She quickly got up from her seat and placed a hand on his forehead, likely checking for a fever, but that didn’t quite properly process in Felix’s mind for a moment. With how close she was, in fact, he noticed something he felt like an idiot for not noticing earlier.

“You look so young…” he murmured, not exactly having meant to say it out loud.

Juliana didn’t look too fazed. In fact, she just scoffed. “You don’t feel feverish but you’re definitely acting like you are. You’re sure you wanna go to school today?”

Felix just nodded numbly. “Math test today.”

“And you think you’ll do well on it while half-dead?” Juliana asked.

The teen just shrugged. “Eh, if I’ve learned anything so far, it’s that I’m pretty good at bullshitting my way through the education system.”

Juliana smirked a bit as she returned to her seat. “So, I’m assuming that means you haven’t been paying attention in class so taking the test while sick wouldn’t affect the end result?”

Felix tried for a weak smile before turning to make some coffee. The moment she couldn’t see his face, the smile dropped. “Bingo.”

He heard some shuffling behind him. “Just make sure you call home if you get much worse.”

She left the kitchen before he could reply, something he was eternally grateful for as he wasn’t sure just how much more of the situation he could take.

~

It turned out that, along with Jett, Miles had also dodged getting sick.

Felix was at least happy for his friend to not have to deal with the plague he’d been struck with but did make a mental note not to go out on patrol that night. He had still gone crime-fighting while sick and he’d do it again but he couldn’t risk the shared sickness between him and his vigilante identity tipping Miles off. He wasn’t quite ready for that.

When Miles finally showed up to the gym, just a few seconds before the teacher would have shut the doors to the locker room, Felix could tell he wasn’t exactly having the best day, though. While a dangerous aura was quite normal on the blonde, it wasn’t very often anymore that he directed it at Felix himself. 

Felix was once again reminded that this teen was also the scariest person he’d ever met. Between the gummy worms and the existence of Jett, it was easy to forget.

Normally, Felix would have cracked a joke to brighten the mood -- or at least make things slightly less awkward -- but today, he just couldn’t manage. So, instead, he simply put on his best smile -- which was pretty weak, in all honesty; Miles was  _ scary _ \-- and, once Miles was in speaking range, said, “Mornin’.”

Miles seemed taken aback by the bland greeting before his green eyes narrowed onto Felix. “So, you’re sick, too, huh?”

Felix just nodded, not confident enough to speak his answer.

Miles sighed. “Guess Jett and I were the only ones to dodge it, then… I’ll be the only one soon enough, though. Jett skipped today. Said he was gonna go keep Brody company. If he’s not sick by the end of the day, it’ll be a miracle.”

The brunette hummed along, letting Miles keep hold of the conversation. Any chance at dissuasion would probably be futile, anyway.

Miles seemed to understand that Felix was letting him take charge. “Okay, fine, so… What the fuck happened yesterday, Felix?”

His harsh tone sent a flinch straight down Felix’s spine. He couldn’t bring himself to respond before Miles continued on.

“Don’t even try to tell me that you were just tired or some shit, either. I cleaned up your coffee cup on my way out and you didn’t even take a sip,” Miles accused, the fact he’d noticed such a small detail making Felix flinch once again. “And even Ash didn’t feel the full symptoms yesterday afternoon so you can’t use the cold as an excuse either. It was weird, Felix. We were fucking worried, okay?”

Felix settled an uneasy gaze onto Miles before tearing his eyes away and staring at the floor. Knowing that this was an expression of worry didn’t exactly settle him down considering that it was still an angry reaction. And talking Miles down while he was already so foggy in the head was seriously gonna be a pain.

“Okay, um, listen…” the teen started off, rubbing at his temple slightly. “I know it was kinda not cool to leave without telling you guys everything but, to be fair, I wasn’t thinking very clearly…”

He chanced a glance up. Miles’ expression hadn’t changed.

“...I’m sorry for worrying you guys,” Felix continued. “I didn't mean to. And I know Brody’s gonna drill into me for that one. I just… I guess you could say I’m dealing with some stuff right now and the point that I couldn’t let myself ignore it anymore happened to be yesterday… I’m managing it, now, though… I can promise you that.”

Miles’ stare softened a little but his voice was still harsh. “I don’t like your half-truths, Felix.”

Felix managed a smile, cracked as it was. “I know. Brody doesn’t either.”

“But you’re sticking with them?”

_ Huh, he’s a little easier on me than he was on Scarfboy about the whole gang thing,  _ Felix noticed.  _...does that mean he likes Felix  _ more  _ or  _ less _? _

Felix nodded despite his inner musings. “For now, yeah. I’m sorry, I just don’t know how to talk about it yet…”

Miles looked conflicted and the next question he spoke didn’t feel like it was the one he wanted to ask. “Just… promise me you’re not in any danger, okay? If anyone’s hurting you or you got into some shit that you could get into trouble for admitting to, you’d better tell me. Otherwise... I’ll let it go. For now.”

Felix considered, briefly, mentioning the bruises he’d gathered from vigilanting and wondered if they’d count in this scenario. But, seeing that the root of his problems was a mysterious organization, brainwashing, and possible forced-combat… it was time to lie out of his ass.

The brunette finally mustered up a grin. “Don’t worry, Miles. It’s nothing like that. Just some emotional stuff. And I’m dealing with it now.”

Miles stared at him for another moment, seemingly trying to find Felix’s lie. But eventually gave up and offered a light smile. “Okay, then, I believe you. But if anything changes…”

Felix kept his plastic smile fastened on as he clapped a hand onto Miles’ shoulder. “Then you’ll be the first to know.”

_ Hey, _ Felix reasoned with himself.  _ That one’s not even a complete lie. It’s most logical to tell the vigilante I know the identity of about everything first.  _

Miles’ smile grew larger at that but Felix knew the blonde wasn’t put completely at ease. He couldn’t blame him -- nothing about this was easy.

Then, before Felix had to come up with some change of topic, the teacher was instructing the class to begin their warm-up exercises and Felix was once again lost in a haze of hatred for P.E.

By the time the class was over, Felix felt like throwing up. And not just because he was sick.

Sure, that was a major aspect -- stuffy noses plus exercise could easily be considered a form of torture, in his opinion -- but the longer the class had waned on, the longer he’d felt a dark sense of foreboding bearing down on him. He was pretty sure it was different than dread at the idea of having to find a way to keep Brody away from the truth and, while he was still mulling over his home situation, he knew the feeling wasn’t regarding Juliana and Chester either.

So, if his dread wasn’t coming from any pre-established issue, where  _ was _ it coming from? Could he just be imagining it? He kinda hoped so. He hoped he was just sick enough to be confused. 

Felix should have known by now, though, that things were never that easy for him.

The feeling of wrongness only compounded as he finished getting out of his gym clothes and into his normal ones. His heart stuck in his throat when he went to leave the locker room, pausing before the doors

Most of his classmates had filed out by the time Miles had come around and was about to leave.

“Felix… you good?” The blonde asked, glancing at him with a bit of concern.

Felix swallowed, staring back at the doors. “Yeah, I just… I don’t know… don’t you kinda feel that something’s off?”

Miles stilled at that, frowning. “Um, a lil---”

Their exchange was cut off by a loud crack in the distance, followed immediately by an echo.

Miles’ eyes went wide in shock for a millisecond before they narrowed down. The blonde grabbed a hold of Felix’s arm and shoved him behind himself slightly.

Felix was still in somewhat of a daze. “…please tell me that wasn’t---”

“A gunshot,” Miles confirmed. “Sorry, it was. Sounded like it hit a ceiling or something hard, though, not a person.”

The pair started backing up from the door. 

“How do you figure that?” Felix asked, some part of his mind knowing it was due to his experience as Dark Gunner. The majority of his mind, though, was still foggy.

Miles shrugged. “Grew up on the West Side. Lots of gun violence.”

Felix nodded along before taking a few deep breaths to collect himself.

Mind finally working fast enough to start planning, he asked, “Do you think this is a student or… or another shooter… or maybe---”

“I wouldn’t put it past a gang thing, no,” Miles responded, glancing around the room frantically. “I… shit, I have no clue what to do!”

“Okay… okay,” Felix breathed. “We need to do something… we need to get out of here and…”

_ We need to get away from one another so we can deal with this as vigilantes _ , Felix decided before taking a look around the room, finally glancing up.

_ I need to get Miles to a point where he thinks I’m safe enough to leave me… so a method of moving around where we can also hide…  _

He managed a grin -- before it made him cough -- and grabbed Miles’ attention. “Hey, come over here and lift me up.”

The blonde followed his gaze to the air duct above him. Nodding along, he did as Felix asked.

Once Felix was at the grate, he tentatively pushed on it. Once he knew it wasn’t going to budge with normal force, he applied some of his unnatural strength to pop it open and climbed up inside, lending a hand back to Miles to pull the blonde up. 

“No way it was that easy,” Miles accused.

Felix shrugged as he contorted to turn around. “It was unscrewed.”

It wasn’t. But it’s not like Miles needed to know that.

“I think we might be able to head this way,” Felix gestured in the direction he was facing and began to shuffle through. “Just follow me.”

He heard a scoff behind him. “You act like you’ve done this before.”

It wasn’t the time for jokes, especially when the situation was so close to what he’d deal with as Scarfboy, but he couldn’t help himself. “Hey, an introvert will go to a great many lengths to avoid social interaction. This is a pretty solid option, between throwing yourself out of a window or straight up pretending to faint.”

Miles made his signature sound of choking back a laugh. “Whatever you say, Felix.”

Not long after they’d started crawling, Felix noticed how dusty the damn vent was. He held back his sneezes, though, ‘cause if he  _ did _ sneeze, it would likely echo through the whole vent system. It was as they came across an opening over a hallway that they heard the PA system click on, stopping the teens in their tracks, a wobbly voice echoing through the school.

“Attention all students, this is your principal speaking. As of now, the office is being held by the Bloody Bones gang... “  A brief pause accompanied by a whimper.  “I’m being told to explain their motives. They plan not to harm the students. They want to make clear they’re here to draw out the vigilante known as Dark Gunner. If this vigilante surrenders to them, they’ll leave.”

Felix was frozen stiff from the announcement. Not only was this the work of a gang but they were holding the office hostage. No… the whole school was held hostage unless they got what they wanted. And what they wanted was…

The brunette resisted the urge to glance back at Miles. 

This was a really bad situation. And while Felix could pretty easily piece together how things had come to this, he really didn’t like the sound of it: Dark Gunner had been targeting the gangs of the West Side. Felix had only heard of his targeting of Hell’s Harbor but he wasn’t at all surprised that the vigilante was also handling others. Dark Gunner must have wounded or even killed someone important or many of the less important members. Now they were making, what, a counterattack? 

Felix wanted to throw up. And not only for the stuffy air and his physical weakness.

Miles Barrett, the kinda scary but secretly kinda dorky high school freshman, had hurt or killed to a significant degree that a gang was willing to take a school hostage in order to force the vigilante to surrender to them. Felix didn’t exactly blame Miles but… dear fuck, it was awful.

“Felix,” Miles whispered from behind him, voice colder than it had been before. “We need to keep moving… To get to safety.”

Felix didn’t bother nodding. He just resumed crawling along the vent, heading in a direction that would  _ probably  _ take them outside.

It was about three minutes later that they came across another hallway. This time, though, it wasn’t empty. Several men dressed in black were in the hall below them, milling about. 

They had guns. Felix didn’t dare say anything, just made a brief shushing noise to Miles to indicate their need for silence. He peered through the grate to get a better look at them and tune into the conversation they were having.

“...seems a bit pointless, if you ask me,” one of the men was saying. “How d’we know the vigilante will even come?”

“For fuck sake, shut up already, will ya’?” Another man snapped back. “We don’t question the orders, got it? Don’t fuck up our last chance.”

“But Carl---” 

“Drop it.”

The third man finally chimed in, “I mean, I kinda agree, but mostly, I’m just pissed about the specific vigilante we’re supposed to go after.”

The first man nodded vigorously. “Louis is right about that. Who gives a shit about  _ this _ guy? I’d take attacking the scarf guy over the gunman any day.”

Surprisingly, Carl just nodded. “Fuck, can’t argue with that.”

The whisper of a memory tickled at the back of Felix’s mind before his recognition was interrupted by scoff behind him. Though the blonde was whispering, Felix was still just barely able to make out that Miles was grumbling about how much it would raise a certain someone’s ego to hear that.

Felix smiled despite himself.

That was, until, the chatting beneath them stopped.

“Did you guys hear that?”

For a brief, horrifying moment, Felix was sure they’d heard Miles’ grumbles but his worries were quickly wiped away by a sweep of silver across the chest of the first man who’d spoken.

Felix could make out the third man calling out “Jerry!” before another thud was heard. The second man barely even had time to aim his gun before he was knocked to the ground as well.

“Holy shit…” Felix breathed out. 

“What is it?” Miles asked hurriedly, voice taking on a panicked lilt. “Felix, what’s going on?”

Felix didn’t even have time to shush the blonde before he found two familiar white lenses gazing straight up at the vent.

Before the familiar face could whip her weapon onto the vent, Felix stuttered out, “Hey, hey, please don’t attack! We’re students!”

“Felix! Answer me, dammit!” Miles continued insisting.

Slowly, Felix turned to look at Miles and only managed to give an awkward smile before he heard the words “Move back from the grate,” resound from below him.

And so he pulled back just in time to see the head of a giant, silver key smash up through the grate. Behind him, he could hear Miles sigh in recognition. 

KeyMaster, apparently, had arrived on the scene.

Making a split-second decision, Felix quickly dropped down from the vent, allowing himself to cough some of the dusty air out of his lungs as he moved aside to let Miles drop down as well. Once the blonde was down beside him, he felt marginally more confident in meeting his unknowing friend’s stare.

“What were you two doing up there?” KeyMaster demanded, resting her key on her shoulder.

Felix’s mind short-circuited while he tried to find a sassy reply so he instead turned to Miles. 

The blonde rolled his eyes. “What did you  _ think _ we were doing? We were trying not to get  _ shot _ .”

KeyMaster sighed, glancing around them, likely to make sure there were no threats lurking right around the corner. “Well, it’s good that you’re not hurt but you should know that the air ducts are blocked off just a little farther down in the direction you were going. Someone in the gang likely foresaw that escape route.”

Felix swayed a little, feeling completely off-balance. “But then… what are we supposed to  _ do _ ?”

Miles laid a steadying hand on his shoulder, keeping him from toppling over. “Calm down, we just need another way to get you to safety.”

Both Felix and KeyMaster cast a shocked look toward the blonde.

_ Wow, _ Felix thought,  _ he didn’t even hide his lack of concern for himself there. Smooth. _

Instead of commenting on it though, Felix simply shook his head. “Well, do  _ you  _ have any ideas? ‘Cause I’m fresh out. The air duct idea was the clearest thought I’ve had all day.” 

Vaguely, Felix took note of the racing, nigh-panicked look in Miles’ eyes but was overall more occupied with the delayed shock that KeyMaster had appeared finally setting in.

_ Shit, shit, shit,  _ his mind screamed at him.  _ Miles might not have recognized you but there’s no fucking way KeyMaster won’t recognize  _ both _ of our voices. We’ve even been bickering!  _

He was so screwed. He could feel it, any moment now, she’d call them out on it. Then Felix would have to admit that he’d known about Miles -- he wanted to at least retain a scrap of his quickly-deteriorating pride -- and then Miles would get mad and never give him an energy drink again! And then to rub salt in the wound, KeyMaster would keep her identity secret and lord it over the high schoolers just so that she could prove she was logically superior -- or whatever she got off on, Felix was starting not to care.

Just when his thoughts reached their peak of panic, the girl in question cut back into the conversation, sending a flinch through Felix’s body. 

“You two don’t need to worry about that,” KeyMaster announcing, straightening her posture up. “You’re just high school students. Don’t worry, I’ll get you two out of here.”

Almost inaudibly, Miles muttered, “Wow, she’s really showing off today.”

Felix couldn’t help but agree, at least happy that she apparently hadn’t actually caught on yet.

However, the proclamation threw in a whole new layer of difficulty for him to eliminate.

Not only did he need to assure Miles he was okay so that they could both deal with the threat, having KeyMaster tagging along meant a whole other person to confuse. And as if that wasn’t complicated enough, they didn’t have the time for this. They needed to snap into action  _ right now _ , not in ten or twenty minutes after having evaded gang members the entire time.

And Felix still felt like his head was imploding. Basically, it was a great day.

_ How do I get Miles away from me? He’s acting really weird so he probably won’t leave me until I’m safe… so I need to convince him that I’m safe. _

Felix turned his gaze back to the vigilante in front of him and resisted grinning. The newest issue was also the perfect solution.

_Time to ham it up._ _Make the theatre kids proud, Felix._

Letting his shoulders loosen, he moved toward KeyMaster slightly. “You’re absolutely right! You’re capable, right? We can trust you?”

Both his friends gave him an odd look but KeyMaster quickly recovered with a smug grin.

“That’s right! You’re safe from here on out,” she assured them.

_ Now, the killing blow. _

Felix tried his best to fight through his headache and give the girl the brightest smile that he could muster up. “Thank you so much, miss!”

The complete wave of joy that washed over the woman -- only really visible to someone who’d spent dozens of nights poking fun at and trying to get a rise out of her -- assured Felix that she would be slightly vulnerable to a trick for the next few minutes.

Now that he was on a time limit, he turned the same bright smile onto Miles. “See, Blondie? We’re gonna be safe! Isn’t that great?!”

Miles was somewhat harder to read but the reaction was noticeable nonetheless. His posture slouched some and the frown on his face lessened. A tentative smile appeared on his face as well. “Yeah, that’s great.”

Felix grabbed the blonde by his arms. “No, Miles, I mean it. We’ll be fine from here on out.”

_ Get out of here already, idiot. _

An odd expression took over Miles’ face and though Felix knew his prompt probably sounded too obvious, he knew that the blonde finally understood that he was safe to dash.

_ And now for step three. _

Felix kept a smile on his face even as he let himself stumble backward some, colliding softly into KeyMaster, who immediately steadied him by grabbing onto his sides.

“Oh, sorry,” he coughed out, grabbing the girl’s full attention. “I’m just a bit sick. I promise I’ll hold it together until we get out, though.”

She looked like she was going to reply with something uncharacteristically heroic again but faltered once she glanced up. “Wha-- Hey! Where’d your friend go?”

Felix had to hide his smile as he turned to examine the empty spot where Miles had just been. 

“Blondie?” He gasped out, hoping his false shock was convincing enough. “Where’d you go?”

_ Okay, so shock is my acting weak-point _ , he winced.  _ Guess I’m used to doing sarcastic shock. _

KeyMaster didn’t seem to mind his lackluster performance, though. Instead, she let go of him and wandered around the near vicinity. 

“Shit,” she whispered as she investigated. “Where did he go… Hey, you, don’t you dare move from that spot while I---”

Felix only slightly heard her drone off as she realized he too was out of sight, having taken off for his locker the moment that she turned her gaze from him.

“For once, looks like things went without a hitch…” he mused under his breath. “I think I’m getting better at this whole  _ strategy _ thing.”

~

By the time Felix made his way back to his friends, happier than ever that he had brought Flex to school with him that day, he found that KeyMaster hadn’t moved from the hallway.

In fact, it looked like Dark Gunner had made it back to her in record time.

Felix didn’t exactly know what to expect as the end result of all his trickery, but whatever it was, he had at least  _ hoped _ he wouldn’t have to break up a fight between two vigilantes.

_ Wait a minute… what? _

When his brain finally comprehended what his tired eyes were seeing, it still had a bit of trouble rationalizing how to respond.

“I’m telling you, it’s not my fault!” KeyMaster was seemingly defending herself, voice coming out in a harsh whisper.

“That doesn’t fix the issue!” Dark Gunner replied, a cold aura of rage bubbling up around him.

Even KeyMaster seemed a bit put off by the deadly aura. “They both just vanished, okay? I had no reason to suspect either of them would run!”

“There are armed men all over this place! You should have at least kept an eye on the sick one!”

“Might I remind you who the gang is  _ here _ for?”

Before Miles was forced to respond, Felix finally cut in. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, guys, calm down. I just got here, there’s no reason to be…”

He swayed on his feet slightly, just barely managing to keep his balance. 

The muffled voice of his favorite gunman reached his ears. “Scarfy? When did you get here?”

Felix tried his best to give his signature grin. “Not too long ago. Came as fast as I could.”

Dark Gunner’s hands quickly gripped his shoulders. “Scarfy, this is important, okay? While you were on your way over to us, did you see a student, maybe about 5 foot 4, wearing a dress shirt?”

“Or a blonde, emo kid,” KeyMaster quickly tacked on.

Felix wiggled his way out of his friends’ grip. “Okay, one: Why do you know his exact height? Two: He sounds like a total nerd if he’s wearing formal clothing to school---”

“Says the guy in the turtleneck in August,” the blonde quickly interjected.

“Three: I’ve heard of no such thing as a blonde emo -- It just sounds counter-intuitive. And four… sorry, no, I didn’t see either of them. What’s going on?” he concluded, waiting for an answer he already knew.

Dark Gunner was the one to respond. “Key-Club here  _ lost _ two students she found.”

The girl quickly snapped back at him. “And I  _ said _ it’s not my fault. Something weird was going on with them.”

“You said one of them was  _ sick _ ! How could he have run off! It’s obvious he was grabbed by the gang!” Dark Gunner continued ranting.

“If that’s so, why wasn’t I attacked as well?!” KeyMaster countered.

Before that actual hole in logic could be discussed any further, Felix cut in again. “Okay, I get it now. Key-Club, I’m not blaming you here, but if either of them ended up in danger like Blondie thinks they did, we need to focus on helping them,” he quickly threw a look at Dark Gunner. “That goes for you too, got it? Less blame-throwing, more heroics, capiche?”

Both vigilantes just sighed and nodded along.

“Good,” Felix exhaled. “Cause there are more important things to discuss---”

Slowly, his vision went dark and he found himself being supported by Miles once again. 

“Scarfy?! Is something wrong?!” The blonde fretted.

Felix waved him off. “Just haven’t had enough caffeine today. I’m not lying when I say that stuff makes up a good half of my blood. But I can handle that later. For now…”


	15. [Gray and Red]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bad day, part two.

“...For now, we really need to get a move on,” Felix instructed. “And we can’t just rush in. We need an actual plan. If we’re careless, a lot of people could get hurt.”

Solemnly, Key Master and Dark Gunner nodded.

“Okay, good,” Felix continued. “First off, we need to get out of the open. Somewhere safe and quiet. Can you guys spot any janitor closets or something similar?”

Quickly, Dark Gunner turned on his heel down the hallway behind him. “I saw something down this way that could be useful. Completely locked, though.”

“Do you have a key?” The other vigilante asked, quickly following after the blonde as Felix composed himself as well.

Suddenly, even through the boy’s shaded glasses, Felix could feel Miles’ piercing stare turn on him. “No... but it's locked electronically.”

It didn’t take long to understand the implication. Nodding quickly, Felix caught up to the duo and let the blonde lead the way. Once Miles stopped and gestured to the door, Felix took a deep breath and placed a hand on the padlock. 

He’d only done it once before but even so, he was able to instantly recognize the electronic buzz that filled the air, charging its way into him and making the world around him melt away. It was only a second before the door unlocked, really, but to Felix, it felt much longer.

Once it did open, though, he wasted no time in charging in, brandishing his scarf quickly to ensure the room was safe.

Sure enough, the room -- which he was now able to tell was some sort of storage room for lab supplies -- was completely empty of other people. The only other possible entrance was a small rectangular window in the very back of the room that looked perhaps just big enough for someone to squeeze through, though it obviously wouldn’t be useful in a rush.

Quickly making sure there were no loose supplies that could cause them harm, he ushered his friends in. Once he was sure everything was fine, he wrapped Flex back around his neck.

Dark Gunner quickly claimed the one stool in the room. “Yeah, just to be clear, we’re discussing the fact that you left that convenient little detail about being able to unlock doors out of our conversation a few nights ago later.”

Felix nodded. “Fair enough, but for the time being, I just want you to know I didn’t hide it on purpose. But there are more pressing issues.”

With the blonde’s nod of agreement, Felix mustered his best smile.

“As much as it embarrasses me to admit,” KeyMaster cut in, “I’m not the best strategist. I was basically planning to play it by ear so I don’t really have any ideas on what to do.”

“Same here,” Dark Gunner spoke up again. “I haven’t even really had enough time to see what’s going on here. We know Bloody Bones is here and they have hostages but I have no clue how we’re gonna deal with that.”

Felix sighed, rubbing at his face tiredly. “Yeah, okay… I think we need to make the safety of the students here our top priority, first off. To do that, we could maybe… well, we need a way to separate the civilians from the gang…”

“Any clue how many gang members there are?” Key Master questioned.

“None,” Felix grumbled. “Which means we should plan for the maximum amount. Better safe than sorry, after all.”

“We also need to make sure that, once we get all the gang members together, they can’t escape,” Dark Gunner specified. “This is a great chance to majorly weaken Bloody Bones. Make them not as much of a threat.”

“So basically, we need a secure location and a convincing deception…” Felix mulled.

_ “Please tell me you’re not actually struggling to figure out how to clear the school,” _ Flex snapped.

Too tired to snap back, Felix simply frowned. “What do you mean, Flex?”

_ “If you can affect electronics, why wouldn’t you be able to interfere with the PA system?” _

Snapping to full attention, Felix finally managed a genuine grin. “That’s perfect, Flex! Provided it works… But we can at least try!”

“Try what, exactly?” KeyMaster asked, crossing her arms over as if annoyed she couldn’t hear the full conversation that was taking place. Felix would have found the expressive gesture amusing at any other moment.

Widening his grin, Felix proudly stated, “Flex suggested we tamper with the PA system! I think I might be able to send a message through it if I can get into the wiring of one of the speakers around school. I’m not totally sure but it's our best bet.”

Dark Gunner’s brows furrowed. “And the people  _ in _ the office? The administrative staff is being held hostage as well. They'd obviously know they didn’t send the announcement.” 

The only solution Felix could think of left a bad taste in his mouth.

“Blon--- No, Dark Gunner. How… How many opponents do you think you can handle at a time in a closed space provided with some sort of cover?”

There was a moment of silence before the blonde answered back.

“In that small office, there are probably only three to seven members. Probably with big guns, sure, but if I had a way to hide... I could easily take them all,” Dark Gunner asserted, voice hard and icy, sending a slight shiver down Felix’s spine.

Felix almost hated himself for suggesting it but it was too late and he was too tired to think of some other solution. “Just… try to shoot for their hands, okay? Incapacitate them if you can.”

The nod he received didn’t fully reassure him but it was still better than nothing.

“The cover you’re talking about,” Key Master interjected. “Do you actually have something in mind or are you still just brainstorming?”

“Please,” Felix scoffed. “A high school full of kids from the West Side and South Area? There’s bound to be buckets worth of confiscated prank items. Plus, we’re in a chemistry supply closet. Some confiscated smoke bombs and harmless chemical reactions are the least of our worries on our to-do list.”

“You’re suggesting we whip up smoke bombs from inside a supply closet on a time limit?” She asked incredulously.

Felix shook his head. “Nope! I’m suggesting  _ you _ do it. I’ll handle finding any confiscated items that I can. I’m a bit too unfocused to be the one that handles the chemicals.”

“And you really think I can do it?” She persisted.

Frowning, he fixed her with the best inquisitive stare he could through their masks. “You’ve said you’re a science nerd, right? Comparing my own skills to yours, something like creating some smoke should be easy for you. Plus, you’re pretty meticulous, so yeah, I think you can do it without any problems.”

She seemed to consider his words for a moment before giving him a slight smirk. “Okay then. How many will we need?”

Felix returned the smile. “As many as you possibly can. Try to make something harmless, though -- we’ll also be using them all around the school as a distraction and fake police attack so we can’t have any student suffering from them.”

The other vigilante wasted no time in beginning to inspect the supplies at hand, rummaging through the cabinets.

“So, what’s left to figure out?” Dark Gunner asked.

“Let’s see…” Felix searched his mind. “First, we distribute the smoke bombs around the school. Then, while I send a message over the PA system to ditch the students and group up, Blondie makes his way to the office in order to save the staff. I’ll tell the gang to go to, let’s say, the gym. Big room for the however many there may be and accessible to the outside where the police will hopefully be waiting. Key-Club will help me secure all the exits to the gym after that and we’ll make sure the authorities can get into the school and help the students out safely.”

“And how do we get the police to cooperate with us, exactly?” Dark Gunner questioned.

Felix just shrugged. “I’m sorta just hoping they extend their trust in us this one time. We do need to get in contact with them first, though.” Hesitantly, he pulled out his own phone. “I’m guessing none of you happened to grab the phone of a gang member before now?”

At the negative confirmations from his friends, he simply sighed. “Guess I’ll have to risk using my own, then.”

KeyMaster, who had already gathered a shocking amount of supplies laid out in front of her, turned around quickly and extended her hand to Felix. “Here, let me have it.”

“Whoa! Hold up!” Felix exclaimed, drawing his hand back. “Again, this is my  _ own _ phone. Tons of personal info I don’t want being seen.”

An exasperated sigh escaped the girls’ lips. “Just open it up to the dial-pad. I know the direct line to the Police Chief.”

Dark Gunner became visibly uncomfortable. “Excuse me? I thought you hated the police if your rants from last week meant anything at all.”

“I’m not a fan when they attack me, no, but that doesn’t mean my knowledge is any less than it is. Now just hand it over. I’ll still let you do the talking,” she explained, once again presenting her open hand to Felix.

Despite the high-pitched whine he let out, he still did as she suggested, watching with bated breath until she handed the phone back to him. 

“See? That didn’t hurt, now did it?” She teased before turning back around to her materials.

Felix wasted no time in pushing the call button and doing his best to explain the situation.

“Hello? This is one of this city’s vigilantes calling. The one with the scarf, specifically, I refuse to say the name you’ve given me because it’s just atrocious,” he greeted, ignoring anything said on the other line along with the eye roll he was sure at least one of his friends had given him. “I borrowed the phone but don’t worry, I’ll give it back. Basically, we’re already inside Harborside High and are somewhat confident in our ability to group up the gang into the gym. We’d like your cooperation in positioning whatever SWAT team you have outside the gym entrance as well as having some medics prepared for the students inside the school.”

Before the man on the other end of the call could get a full sentence through, Felix decided to conclude the call. “That’s really it. We’d  _ really _ like your help here cause we don’t want anything to go wrong. We know you don’t like us but given the situation, you can hopefully just treat us as anonymous helpers instead of, well, that way you normally treat us. We don’t have a lot of time now so I gotta hang up now. Nice talkin’ to ya’!”

Once the call ended, Felix quickly blocked the number just for the purpose of deflecting any future calls. Dark Gunner leaned closer to Felix and asked, “You sure they’ll listen?”

Felix grinned a little before dropping it. “No clue.”

A sudden chuckle caught them all off-guard. “Nice to see you believing in people so much.”

And suddenly they all became aware of the fourth person in the room, alongside the open window that obviously let the newcomer in.

“What the fuck, Batty!” Felix yelped. “Way to give me a heart attack! As if running low on coffee wasn’t bad enough, jump scares are something I don’t think any of us need right now!”

The warlock just smiled at him. “Sorry about that. But hey, it looks like you guys already have things figured out!”

Felix couldn’t help but snort. “Of course. You show up just in time to avoid all the hard planning. That’s not very like you, Batty. If anything, it’s like me.”

He could hear Flex snicker,  _ “Feeling better, then?” _

“Adrenaline?” Felix tried to explain, drawing odd looks from all in the room.

KeyMaster disregarded the seemingly-random word as quickly as it had stolen her attention. “I don’t wanna know. Just get moving.”

Felix nodded. “This is it, then. Batty, you’re with me -- I’ll explain while we move. Dark Gunner, you’re on standby until we have our materials. Help out KeyMaster if she needs your help but otherwise just stay out of her way.”

Magic Bat frowned. “Wait, we’re separating?”

“Yup. We’ve got lots to do in a small amount of time,” Felix confirmed.

“Then here,” their warlock started as he summoned his deck of cards. “We’ll all take one of these. They have a live feed so I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to talk through them. Just for today though, okay? I’ll need them back.”

Felix stared dumbly at the boy in front of him for a second, hardly even reacting as a card came to hover near his head. “You’ve been able to do this all this time and never said anything?”

Magic Bat just shrugged. “College is tough on the mind, kiddos.”

It was just before the door closed behind them that KeyMaster finally processed their warlock's last sentence. 

“Call me a kid again and your cards won't be the only thing disappearing from sight!” 

Felix didn’t spare the time to laugh.

~

It was around the time that Felix had finally really begun to worry that he may have made too much of an assumption about the possibility of smoke bombs being in some obscure drawer in the school, a trail of knocked out gunmen already littered behind him, that they received news from KeyMaster that calmed his nerves tenfold.

“Hey, Scarfy, how would you feel about a few chemical concoctions being placed in the vent system?” The vigilante's voice resounded from the card next to Felix’s head. He was certain the suddenness of it would have given him a heart attack if not for how his brain had already begun to muddle again. 

“...um, well…” Felix stuttered out before turning an uncertain gaze onto Magic Bat, who only shrugged in response.

Suddenly, Miles’ voice came out of the card as well:  “I don’t think we should. There might be students and teachers hiding in the vent system for all we know. KeyMaster herself said she saw some earlier.”

_ Yeah, but not everyone can easily rip the grates from their bolts like I can, _ Felix rationalized to himself, just barely remembering that saying it out loud would be a  _ very _ bad idea and that he’d have to come up with some other response.

Apparently, he didn’t need to, because KeyMaster was already reading his mind. 

“For the record, I still have no clue how they got in there. It’s not exactly like the vents are easy to get into and how many kids do you think carry screwdrivers around?”

Knowing that the gunman also couldn’t say too much against her point for fear of giving himself away, Felix elected to reply with, “In  _ this _ school?”

Magic Bat gave him a stern -- though not at all threatening -- stare for the mean joke but Felix shrugged it off with a light smirk before continuing.

“Key, you have my vote,” Felix replied, conceding in his own mind that if they were gonna use smoke either way, they might as well do it effectively. “Batty, what do you think?”

The warlock took a good moment to realize he’d asked him something.

“Oh! Uh… I get a vote?” The pinkette asked meekly.

Felix frowned and simply asked, “...Why wouldn’t you?”

Magic Bat fumbled about for a moment before fixing his gaze back on Felix and replying, “I guess it’s not important. While I have a few concerns… if you think it’s a good idea, Scarfy, I’ll listen to you. I say go ahead.”

Felix eyes his friend worriedly for a moment but was for once unable to spot any specific emotion -- their little bat could sure put up a good poker face when he wanted to.

“And you, Blondie?” He asked, tearing his eyes from Magic Bat. “You’re fine with it?”

“Just do it,”  came the reply. 

Before Felix had to bother replying, he finally noticed the door he was looking for.

“Please, please, please…” he muttered to himself as he and Batty slipped inside. “Let me be smart just this once.”

_ “Who are you praying to, exactly?”  _ Flex questioned.

Felix shrugged as he began searching through desks. “Dunno. You’re AI, right? You’re probably the closest thing to a god there is.”

_ “Does that mean you’ll worship me now?” _

Felix rolled his eyes, “In you drea-- Hey! Here they are!”

Batty quickly peered over and let out a long whistle. “I hate to say this but I can’t believe you were spot on.”

“No offense taken,” Felix murmured, quickly counting the numbers and figuring out how many should go in each main vent. “I was pretty sure I was setting myself up for failure anyway.”

Thirty-three. There were thirty-three smoke and/or stink bombs left in the drawer. Suddenly, it felt like Christmas had come early.

Which immediately led Felix to remember that he had no genuine memories of the holiday but he decided that was a thought best tucked away for later.

“This is more than perfect!” He sighed in relief. “Batty, can you start setting these around the school near vent grates. You’re fast, right?”   
  


Smiling brightly and tucking the contents of the drawer into his cape, he nodded. “Consider it done. I’ll just need a few minutes.”

And then Felix was alone.

“Now, Blondie--”

“Since when do you call me that, anyway?” Miles’ sharp voice came from the card.

Felix froze in shock for a moment. “Uh… call you what?”

“”Blondie.” You usually call me “Beanie-Baby,”” Dark Gunner pointed out.

Quickly scanning back on his memories from the day, Felix realized he had, in fact, slipped into the nickname he’d borrowed from Jett. “I mean… you  _ are _ blonde, are you not? Besides, are you seriously asking me to call you “Beanie-Baby?” Cause I have no objections.”

There were a few seconds of silence before Dark Gunner replied.  “So should I get a move on to the office?”

“Precisely,” Felix confirmed, “Now, Key, what’s the ETA on the lab experiment?”

“Should be done in just a minute. Thing is, once we set one of these off, we’ll have to work fast. There’s no delay system for obvious reasons _ ,”  _ she cautioned.

“I have an idea!”  Magic Bat’s voice piped up.  “I’m doing it for these anyway! I can set a card up to trigger it into action. Four cards are in use already, though, so I can only do it for… math. Scarfy?”

“Uhh… Forty-seven?”

“One off -- the answer’s forty-eight,”  KeyMaster corrected and Felix could  _ feel _ the eye-roll she was making.  “You really are caffeine deficient right now, huh?”

“Reminds me of the first time I met you,”  Dark Gunner chuckled from over the line.  “You were so tired you kept stuttering and tripping over yourself. It was almost endearing.”

“If I remember correctly,” Felix muttered, working his way over to the wall and searching for that electric connection with his still-confusing powers, “My being endearing was the exact reason you didn’t kill me.”

The subject didn’t take, unfortunately. He heard KeyMaster snort.  “Wow, you’re really not good with new people, are you? I specifically remember you calling me “Miss.””

“I recall no such thing,” Felix denied, finally finding the wire that lead to the speaker system and tracking it down to the outlet.

“Scarfy, when we met, you were so unnerved that you rambled on about Havenden’s school paper,”  their warlock chimed in.

“And it was a fair point to bring up!” Felix defended himself. “Plus, you can’t talk! You were as awkward as I was.”

“So you admit you’re awkward…”  Dark Gunner mused. Felix could hear the grin he must’ve had.

“Wait, Batty also called me “Miss,”” KeyMaster realized, sounding affronted. “Is that really the effect I give off?”

Sighing, Felix pulled the outlet out and fished around for the wire he’d been tracking. “Key-Club, you scared an entire group of gang members when I first met you. You literally whacked a man across the street. You’re scary. Deal with it.”

Felix didn’t give her time to reply, grinning as the air around him turned electric, his subconscious managing to connect to just the right frequency. “And, though you may have scared me as well, I can confidently say that, right now, I’m the coolest person in this entire building. Batty, initiate.”

Vaguely, he could hear the sounds of popping and coughing coming from outside, but kept his focus away from it, training his thoughts solely on the mechanics of the PA system.

He heard their warlock give him the all-clear and set his voice into motion.

”We’ve been attacked!”  Felix yelled, hearing his own, distorted voice resound through the speaker above him.  “The police are in the building! Ditch the hostages and regroup in the gym! We got a hostage in there that’s our trump card! Get any students out of there -- we don’t need ‘em!”

“Gym’s cleared. I’m headed for the office,” Dark Gunner informed the group.

“Be careful,” Felix tried to advise. 

There was no reply. 

Felix pushed his fear down. 

“KeyMaster! Meet me at the gym,” Felix ordered. “Magic Bat, try to get some students away before meeting up with us as well. We need to figure out a way to seal the doors and outside of any chance of me electronically locking them, you’re all we have.”

He was already rushing down the hallway, dashing through the settling fog and staying out of the eyesight of the invaders -- who he was very pleased to see were rushing to the gym -- when KeyMaster spoke over the cards.

“Actually... I may or may not have discovered I could lock and unlock doors the other day.”

Felix skidded to a halt before he remembered they were on a time crunch. “What? Really?”

“I’ll explain it later, but for right now, I can help out, too.” 

“Fair enough. Let’s do this,” Felix conceded. “In that case, I want you to join me on the interior doors. Batty, can you take exits that lead out in areas the police may not have covered?”

“Whatever you say,” Batty chirped.

“Anything?” Felix asked, mostly because he still had a moment before he reached the gym in order to joke around.

“Scarfy…” Batty whined. Felix just let out a puff of laughter.

“I know… I know…”

When Felix caught sight of the gym entrance, he waited for a few seconds and observed. There were still people headed into it so he knew they couldn’t continue immediately but he also  _ really _ needed a way to know  _ when _ everyone was inside.

Realizing how dumb he was for not realizing sooner -- and once again remarking to himself how  _ tired _ he must be, like holy shit -- he called on Magic Bat.

“Hey, before you direct your cards to the door, d’you think you could monitor the building?”

He saw another card whiz past him and decided that it probably meant “yes.” He grinned and gave a quick thanks before continuing to observe.

For once, KeyMaster didn’t get the jump on him.

“So, Scarfy,” the brunette girl drawled, “out of curiosity, how are you gonna explain the phone thing to the police if they come knocking?”

He sent her a slight glare. She, apparently, was able to discern it through his mask as she smirked at him.

Felix had to break the stalemate eventually. It wasn’t as if he generally had less endurance today or anything to be able to deal with KeyMaster’s shit.

“I don’t know….” he groaned, slumping his shoulders. “I did tell them it was a civilian's phone, which is good, but then there’s the matter of how I’m getting it back to myself. No way I’m ditching it, and doing that would only make police perception of me  _ worse _ , so I’m kinda stuck here. I don’t want to mention it to my civilian friends cause at least one of them would demand I let him inspect it for fingerprints or something and-- augh!!! Just let me be in my own misery, okay?”

He dramatically tossed himself against the wall -- half in search of support for his weak body -- and threw a hand up to his head as if feverish. 

KeyMaster chuckled, which he was starting to consider a good thing.

“Short boys just keep fainting around me today, don’t they?” She asked bemusedly.

Felix frowned. “I’m not short.”

“Please,” she scoffed. “You’re shorter than  _ Magic Bat _ .”

“We all are! He’s freakishly tall for how pure he is!” He protested.

“But you’re so short that it stands out,” she snarked.

_ “We get it already! You two like to bicker!”  _ Flex snapped, shocking Felix out of the conversation.  _ “Notice anything new around you?” _

Felix followed his scarf’s advice and finally noticed the aforementioned warlock smiling goofily at them. 

“Oh, uh…” Felix stuttered out. “Hey, Batty. We all clear to go?’

Nodding along, Magic Bat gleefully responded. “Yup! Better get on it!”

Felix spared a glance at KeyMaster who seemed similarly rattled by their warlocks sudden appearance and felt immediately better about his own lack of awareness. 

He gave a confident nod back to Magic Bat. “And on it, we are! C’mon, Key!”

Just before the pinkette disappeared, though, he heard the words, “And you  _ are _ short, Scarfy!”

He’d have called back something rude but was interrupted by KeyMaster laughing at his expense. In the end, he decided it was for the best to just drop the topic.

Felix dropped his playful attitude quickly once he actually got to work.

One-by-one, he dashed down the hallways, jamming the mechanical contraption at the top of the doors that he never really understood the purpose of before but was grateful for now. The prolonged use of his power, though, seemed to begin to wear him down. He’d never really used it in any grand scale before so he wasn’t sure if his cold was affecting him or if exhaustion would be a continuing issue.

There were only a few entrances to the gym from the inside of the school but by the time he passed KeyMaster midway through, he was already feeling genuinely faint.

KeyMaster, he noticed, wasn’t lying about being able to lock doors. It was definitely a slightly slower process than his own, but just seeing her raise up her gigantic key and the light that radiated from it as an incorporeal lock manifested over the doorway was enough to firmly establish that her abilities were definitely not natural.

She’d been affected by H.E.B.S. too. 

His heart hurt as he passed her but, wanting to make sure the other doors were completely sealed, he forced himself onward.

She had said she would explain her powers “later” but Felix was now sure he wasn’t ready for that “later” to be today. It was something he needed to know badly but he knew he just wouldn’t be able to handle it yet.

Once Felix had done his own check on all of the doors, Magic Bat showed up to tell him the police were ready to enter the gym and make sure students got out of the school safely. Felix thanked him hurriedly before heading off to check up on one last thing:

He had to make sure Miles was okay.

Rushing through the school at his top speed, he careened through the hallways and over to the main office building. He noticed a few students finally making their way to safety as well as police officers every now and then but effectively blurred it all out, narrowing his mind in on his destination and his destination alone.

He turned one last corner and skidded to a grinding halt.

The office door was left open, staff members and administrators already pushing past him to safety.

The footprints they left as they ran were crimson.

Cautiously, he approached the door. He assumed it had just recently been opened as smoke was still dissipating from inside. The lights were off and he briefly considered not turning them on for fear of what he’d see.

When the lights did go on, Felix felt sick for more than one reason.

It occurred to him that he’d never seen a dead person before. He’d seen people passed out, sure, and it was always slightly eerie to see a person so still, but they’d always still been mostly intact and the adrenaline of the fight had always kept him distracted enough to not mind.

He’d seen blood before as well. Usually his own after a rough scrape and occasionally seeping out of smaller wounds on his opponents.

He’d seen  _ pictures _ of dead people but the funny thing about pictures is, no matter how accurately they can capture a moment, you always feel somewhat far removed looking at them. Even in the rare -- as he now knew -- pictures of himself, the memories had always felt somewhat like a dream, not a true past. Not a true event. Not a true body.

This wasn’t just one true body. These were bod _ ies _ . There weren’t just a few drops of blood -- there were already pools forming.

The sight hit Felix in a way that nearly made him throw up. What was worse, though,  _ worse _ than the color of pain staining the surroundings and the crushing knowledge of what death meant in the first place, was the sweeping relief he felt upon noticing none of the bodies were Miles’.

It tore him up to consider the fact that he was relieved and destroyed by the same scene.

It tore him up to know that Miles -- kinda scary but secretly kinda dorky, overly-protective, gummy-worm loving, bad-humor having Miles -- was without a doubt the one who had wreaked this carnage.

It tore him up that  _ he’d  _ been the one to suggest the plan.

Not able to stand the sight any longer, he turned and ran as fast as he could, his only real objective to get out of the school, away from both the bloodshed and from his friends.

_ “Kid?” _ He could hear Flex call to him in the moments before he reached his bag.

Felix tuned his scarf out.

~

Felix didn’t exactly know how he ended up at  _ Popchester’s _ .

He’d remembered leaving his school and dodging away from the police and the press. He’d remembered the feeling of not wanting to go home to fake parents just yet. He’d remembered getting a call from Brody and immediately turning off his phone. He’d remembered already hearing the beratement he’d end up getting for it. He’d remembered not caring very much.

He certainly  _ didn’t _ remember getting on a bus, walking into  _ Popchester’s _ and ordering a drink. In fact, based on how Ross pretty much seemed able to read his mind, he wouldn’t be surprised if he hadn’t ordered at all.

He wasn’t as surprised as he should have been when the world came back into focus and he was already halfway through a cup of coffee. He wasn’t as surprised as he should have been when he noticed the evidence that this definitely was  _ not _ his first cup, either.

And he definitely should have been more surprised when he glanced out the window and saw that the sun had already begun to set.

“Felix?” A woman’s voice prompted and Felix tore his eyes away from the window beside him.

It was Sabrina, another one of the servers. Her eyebrows were pulled up in concern as she gazed at him.

“Are you feeling better?” She asked, inclining her head toward him.

_ No. _

“Yeah, I am,” Felix replied, trying his best to give a smile. “Ah… is Ross working, by any chance?”

The girl shook her head. “He left a little under an hour ago. He said he was kinda worried about you.”

_ I guess I really do have that effect on people. _

“It was just… a rough day,” Felix explained and the sympathetic look in her eyes told him that she’d likely been watching the news earlier and had put two and two together.

“Yeah… We won’t close for a long while but I might be leaving soon so I just wanted to make sure you’d be okay…” she mumbled, more to herself than to Felix but he still tried to respond anyway.

“I really am--”

The doors to the cafe slammed open, cutting Felix off as he diverted his attention.

He wasn’t sure if he was happy or not to see Miles standing in the doorway, eyes frantically searching around the room until they landed on Felix. 

He wasn’t sure if the relief that flooded Miles’ features made him feel better or worse.

“Felix!” The blonde gasped, making his way over to the table in a rush. “Why weren’t you answering your phone?”

Felix winced at the redness rimming his friend’s wide eyes.

“I, uh…” Felix looked down at his hands. “I turned it off.”

Miles sucked in a sharp breath and took a seat in the empty chair across from Felix. “What? Why? Why would you do that?”

Felix spared a glance up to ask Sabrina for some privacy but found she’d already returned to the counter. Silently, he thanked her. 

Looking back at Miles was painful. His eyes were obviously tired from crying and his skin was paler than Felix had ever seen him. He looked sort of… tired. 

Suddenly, Felix knew he wasn't the only one affected by what had happened in the office.

“I just… I don’t know… I wasn’t really thinking…” Felix tried to defend himself.

Miles took a deep breath, seemingly trying to regain his composure. 

“You… where did you go?” the blonde begged. “You just disappeared!”

_ You don’t want to go there, Blondie. _

“So did you,” Felix snarked without any real malice.

Miles looked down and screwed his eyes shut. “I… I know… but I was just around the corner to check on something and--”

“I won’t ask about it,” Felix blurted out. “I don’t care. It’s over. That moment’s over, just like a picture you don’t recognize yourself in. It’s over. I won’t ask if you won’t.”

Miles was obviously at odds with the offer but still didn’t speak his dissent.

There was a pause before the blonde spoke again. “Why… why are you here? Why not go home? Or stay around the school so that… that I could  _ find _ you.”

Felix managed a genuine laugh. “You know why I had to leave school, Miles. And I just… don’t really feel like going home yet.”

Felix met Miles’ eyes again and was struck by the flood of empathy within them and suddenly knew that, for whatever reason, Miles didn’t want to go home either.

And finally, they’d found a true middle-ground.


	16. [Angst? What Angst?]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mostly an oof

Two weeks pass by surprisingly fast when you’re repressing trauma, Felix found out.

What was more worrisome than the passage of time, though, was just how easy he found it to focus his attention away from the scene in the office. He wasn’t sure if it was some leftover influence of the brainwashing done by H.E.B.S. or if he had, at some earlier point, gotten disturbingly accustomed to real-life horror.

He also wasn’t sure which option was worse.

On one hand, dealing with brainwashing was a huge pain in the ass and he  _ really _ didn’t want to have a foreign entity in charge of his thoughts anymore. On the other… He couldn’t imagine what sort of things he must have experienced previously for such an easy response to death to be so natural to him.

Either way, he was pretty sure his response was the fault of H.E.B.S. If it wasn’t, he was going to have a serious talk with his own subconscious.

Speaking of talks… 

Felix and Brody hadn’t exactly had the talk that Brody had so vehemently promised. It was obvious  _ why _ the topic fell by the wayside -- the overwhelming relief that there hadn’t been a single civilian casualty during the fiasco had certainly distracted them both -- but still… 

The topic was left hanging in the air for all to see and Felix  _ really _ didn’t like it.

School had gotten back in session the week after the attack.

There had initially been a lot of buzz over the hostage situation at Harborside, especially regarding the vigilantes, but attention quickly -- way too quickly, in Felix’s opinion -- turned to the gang situation overall.

Felix wasn’t a fan of the news, per se, but he’d been grounded for five whole days due to his whole “not immediately calling his parents after his school was taken hostage by a fucking gang” thing, so he had more time than usual to watch it and much less to do.

Apparently, the gang had decided to retaliate against Dark Gunner because their leader had likely been killed by the vigilante. Nobody could confirm a hundred percent whether or not this was true but everyone arrested seemed certain of it. They’d planned the attack sloppily, being too caught up in revenge to think through things properly.

And now, with their leader gone and such a large amount of their members in jail, Bloody Bones was as good as disbanded.

Which meant there was another power-vacuum for Hellside Harbor to take advantage of.

Just the thought made Felix’s head whimper and ache.

But, as for now, Felix had a whole different headache to deal with.

Namely,  _ Miles Barrett was a perceptive little shit and wasn’t even trying to hide it. _

All day, every time Miles had spotted Felix, a look of pure suspicion had overcome the blonde’s face and it was spiking the coffee-addicts anxiety levels to the max. Felix knew Miles wasn’t dumb, after all, and he was honestly a little surprised the blonde hadn’t begun to catch on sooner given how much time they spent together.

In the back of his mind, Felix checked off an imaginary box on his “Brainwashing Characteristics” list for Miles. In the front of his mind, though...

Lunch was… well, lunch was a mess.

It had started, as most things do, with Brody.

“Glad to see all of you back, now let's get to business,” the teen started off, practically bouncing despite the serious tone he was desperately trying to maintain. He stood up in front of the rest of the group, who had been at least attempting to have a normal lunch. 

Though, really, this  _ was _ a normal lunch, wasn’t it?

“Lots of discussable items of interest have occurred as of late and I’ve been seriously missing my bouncing boards,” Brody continued on.

Ash gave a puff of laughter from their spot beside Felix. “Oh, and what, great leader, do you want to discuss now.”

Brody paused, slowly turning a shocked look onto Ash. “Do you… please tell me you’re joking.”

The caramel-haired teen rose an eyebrow. “How about you take a guess, Brode-meister?”

Sighing, Brody continued on his raving. “Okay, so we’ve all already discussed Scarfboy’s powers,” Felix felt Miles’ eyes finally leave him and focus on Brody, “but it’s become apparent that KeyMaster also has some form of special ability. A few students who were leaving the school at the time reported that she was, and I quote, “Locking doors with her magic key.” Now, I don’t know  _ how _ true it is, but it’s also true that those doors needed locksmiths to open up later on.”

Jett broke into Brody’s rambling. “Isn’t it also possible that Scarfboy locked the doors? We’ve seen him unlock them and the doors at this school  _ do _ have mechanical door closers.”

Felix frowned. “Wait, those things are called  _ door closers _ ? That’s so… obvious…”

“Not the point,” Brody sighed. “The point is that, while it’s likely Scarfboy also played a hand, it would be hella rad if KeyMaster could actually do cool stuff with her key.”

There was a pause before Jett replied. “Yeah. Yeah, it actually would be. The functionality of the key doesn’t make much sense as we’ve seen it used up ‘till now. If she wanted a melee weapon, she could find a melee weapon easily. It having more uses would also make sense.”

“Some people say they’ve seen it extend,” Ash added in.

“And so,” Brody concluded, “It’s not impossible to think that it has some more uses we’ve yet to see. Side note, where do you even get a giant-ass key?”

Felix shrugged. “Find a giant’s house and look under the welcoming mat?”

To his credit, most of the group gave at least a slight laugh.

Miles, for the first time since he’d met the blonde, didn’t give even the slightest indication he’d even  _ heard _ the joke. In fact, his green eyes had found their way back to their inspection of Felix.

If humor couldn’t distract the blonde, then Felix knew he was screwed.

It was time to actually play into the discussion.

“Really, though,” he began, desperately hoping he wouldn’t somehow screw himself over, “if the key can expand, isn’t it safe to assume it’s not always that big? It could normally be the size of a normal key and grow into that size for fighting.”

Brody turned a thoughtful gaze onto Felix. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that possibility, too… Hearing you come up with it makes it sound like a more credible theory, though.”

Felix let his mind wander away from Miles. “Brody, I’ve told you, I’m not that--”

“Smart. Sure, Felix,” Brody snapped, sending a flinch down Felix’s spine. “You’re right, we’ve had that conversation before.”

_ Oh, _ Felix belatedly realized,  _ he’s still pissed. He’s probably even  _ more _ pissed. I really am screwed after all. _

He didn’t have time to ponder just how screwed he was, though, because Jett immediately picked up the conversation, for which Felix was eternally grateful.

“Given that theory,” the punk began, “if you consider the theory that the vigilantes all know one another as their civilian identities, could anything else from the others be easily hidden like that?”

Brody’s eyes lit up as he turned his focus to Jett. “Magic Bat, probably. Just, like, all of him? I’m pretty sure we can all agree his hair isn’t actually pink. If he and KeyMaster share similar roots, they’d probably hide things similarly.”

Felix checked off another box on his list, this time for his bubbly, sweet warlock friend.

The situation was really getting worse by the minute.

Ash suddenly laughed. “Who came up with these names, anyway? I don’t know which is worse: Magic Bat or  _ Scarfboy _ !”

Felix nodded along. Brody pouted.

Miles was distracted. “Scarfy did.”

Everyone turned to look at the blonde. Jett inclined his head. “What?”

Miles seemed to have noticed that he spoke out loud and turned a rather embarrassed face to the group before trying his best to school his features. “Oh, uh, I just… remember reading somewhere that Scarfboy was the one who came up with Magic Bat’s name…”

“What!?” Brody exclaimed. “No way. Even  _ I _ haven’t heard that one. It would be so cute, though!”

Felix couldn’t help himself. Frowning bemusedly, he asked, “Cute?”

Brody nodded vigorously. “Yeah! A few pictures have leaked of Scarfboy helping Magic Bat stand up when it probably wasn’t necessary so I’d like to revise certain past statements and bring up the theory that they’re dating!”

_ Do I really help Batty up that often? _ Felix thought to himself. 

Jett nodded along with Brody. “They do meet up in the middle of the day a lot. Lunch dates?”

“Wait a minute,” Ash interrupted, “don’t their little lunch dates prove they don’t know each other in real life? Especially if they were dating, you’d think they’d find a less obvious way to meet up.”

Brody’s pout returned. “Aw, c’mon, Ash. Don’t be a bummer. At least that doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t dating as vigilantes, though.”

Felix met Miles’ eyes and shared a look of amusement with the blonde before they returned to their regularly scheduled battle of silent suspicion.

_ Miles might kill me later but this will be worth it, _ Felix considered, smirking lightly.

“Seriously, though, there’s no competition over which name is worst,” Felix scoffed playfully, immediately seeing the amusement that lit up in his friends' faces.

Brody sighed. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, another conversation we’ve already--”

“Dark Gunner, definitely,” Felix interrupted. 

Brody froze in his spot. Jett’s blue eyes went wide. Ash grumbled that Dark Gunner wasn’t one of their given options.

Miles stared, completely floored. 

Felix’s smirk widened.

“It’s just so… obvious!” The teen complained, closely watching Miles’ reaction. “Wow, he’s a gunman in dark clothes.  _ Shocker _ . It’s not as embarrassing to hear and say as Scarfboy is, but I’ll admit, that name at least has  _ some _ pizazz.  _ Some _ oddity. Dark Gunner is just… bland.”

“That’s it…” Brody whispered, aghast. “I don’t know you anymore. You must be an alien.”

The teen finally sat down, stealing an overdramatic page from Felix’s book and collapsing against Jett’s side with a flourish.

Felix blinked owlishly at the pair before turning his attention back to Miles, who seemed to have not even slightly noticed the newfound physical closeness of their friends.

“Hey, Felix,” the blonde asked, dangerous eyes boring into Felix’s mechanical ones, “what do  _ you _ think of the vigilantes, anyway? You talk about them lightly right now but you seemed super into KeyMaster just last week.”

Felix felt like screaming.  _ This guy-- _

He shrugged. “Dude, I don’t even remember most of last week. Most I remember is that she made me feel safe, but that’s neither here nor there. It was a momentary thing, really.”

Miles’ lips curved into a cunning smirk. “And in general? Come to think of it, I’ve never heard you talk about Scarfboy outside of his name.”

_ Play innocent, play innocent, for fuck's sake, play innocent. _

Felix smiled warmly at Miles, “I mean, you gotta appreciate what they’re doing, right? Especially after last week. I’m sure things would have been much worse if they hadn’t shown.”

“Which brings me to another point!” Brody suddenly yelled, shooting back up to his feet, startling Felix out of his gamble. “Did any of you notice how quickly they showed up!?”

Felix shared a glance with Miles, clearly remembering the moment KeyMaster had shown up.

“Yeah... “ Felix slowly agreed. “It was a bit quick.”

“Which means, for whatever reason, they were all near or  _ in _ the school beforehand!” Brody exclaimed, smiling proudly.

Felix couldn’t argue with that, honestly, because Brody was way too smart for Felix’s good.

“To be fair, Brody,” Jett started off, “circumstances can be weird. People who were  _ supposed _ to be in the building, like you, Ash, and I, weren’t. Who’s to say all the vigilantes weren’t already in the area because of unusual circumstances? Or maybe a few just work nearby already.”

“But!” Brody interjected. “Scarfboy is almost definitely a teenager. One of the first things anyone was able to glean about him was the fact that he was either young or malnourished. Or, if he’s anything like Felix, both.”

_ That’s not helpful to my current predicament, Brody. _

“I’ll have you know, coffee is a good source of--”

“Moving on. Given the amount of energy the guy must have to handle being out all night--” Felix noticed Miles choking back a laugh at the thought, “--we can pretty much conclude that he’s on the younger side. I honestly don’t know if that’s cool or worrying.”

“Solid mix of both,” Jett chimed in.

Brody nodded briskly. “Yeah. Anyway, from that, and with how quickly he showed up, we can take that to mean he either goes here or was out of school for some unusual reason, which makes the first option most likely.”

“Have you posted that online yet?” Felix asked, masking his worry with a less-prioritized but still genuine interest in Brody’s hobbies.

Brody’s response turned suddenly cold. “Days ago.”

Felix’s mouth, without his permission, let an “Ah” escape from his mouth.

That confirmed it, then. Brody was upset.

And it was, genuinely, Felix’s fault.

But how on Earth was he supposed to explain to his best friend that he was constantly putting himself in danger? Honestly, Felix probably should’ve told Brody way earlier on and he wondered if the decision not to was because of H.E.B.S.’ brainwashing or completely due to his own sheer stupidity.

Despite that, though… he couldn’t now. There was no way he could explain to Brody that he was some product of human experimentation. If it wasn’t already a danger to Brody’s safety to tell him, it was now.

Felix couldn’t fix this. He’d  _ just _ gotten used to having a best friend and he already fucked it up.

_ This _ . This was why he isolated himself last year. And it wasn't even completely his own decision to, was it? Partially, H.E.B.S. was at fault for messing him up in the first place.

Belatedly, he checked another box on his list. This time, for himself.

The conversation had moved on without him and Brody was rambling again.

“...Scarfboy’s probably my favorite, though. I mean, I dig Magic Bat’s vibe and I’d let KeyMaster step on me, but Scarfboy’s been around the longest. He was there for all of us first, you know? There’s no competition…”

Felix stopped listening and hung his head.

~

Felix almost didn’t go out that night.

It would’ve been totally reasonable. His parents had only  _ just _ let him off house-arrest, after all. There was absolutely no reason to punish himself any more than he’d already been.

Except for the fact that there was  _ every _ reason to. He had to know what KeyMaster had to say.

It was with a rather dreary mood that he swung by Havenden to pick up their warlock. Even the pinkette's smile, which was normally so sweet that it could lift even Dark Gunner’s mood, failed to cheer him up.

It just reminded him that such a kind person might have been as hurt by H.E.B.S. as he was.

Magic Bat definitely noticed his mood but didn’t say anything, probably thinking it was something that had happened in his civilian life. Which, in part, it was.

KeyMaster, as per usual, had no trouble finding them right off the bat, even though they’d at no point mentioned to her that they’d be on the roof of a shopping complex. Felix was beginning to get a little curious as to whether she really could sense other coffee-addicts or something of the sort but brushed the thought away.

When they realized that they were likely about to have a very important discussion and Dark Gunner hadn’t shown yet, probably not having the same sixth sense as KeyMaster, their warlock sent out one of his cards to find and alert the vigilante.

Felix saw Miles for the second time that day not 15 minutes later.

“So,” the gunman drawled out as he suddenly emerged from the shadows, causing the trio to jump, “should we cut to the chase?”

Wordlessly, KeyMaster tossed him a coffee as he took a seat next to Magic Bat and waited for a response. Felix simply nodded in reply.

“So I see we’re  _ all _ having a bad few weeks…” KeyMaster grumbled, taking a large gulp on her drink before setting it down and taking a deep breath and continuing,

“I didn’t lie, before, when I didn't mention the whole locking doors thing…” she explained quietly. “I honestly didn’t know back when we discussed our powers.”

Felix sighed. “The same goes for me. I actually found out about mine the same night, when Batty and I had to get into an office building. I was just… desperate, I guess, and sort of moved without thinking, and boom! Door opens.”

KeyMaster, somehow, looked shocked through her mask. “It was really similar for me, actually. I mean, I  _ was _ thinking about how you had powers at the time, so I guess it  _ was _ on my mind, but… it’s not like I knew I could do it beforehand.”

She glanced around the group before returning her obscured eyes back to Felix’s own, seemingly finding the most comfort there. 

“It… it really… if I’m being honest… I…” she stuttered out before closing off again.

Felix picked up the slack. “It scared you.”

She nodded. “Yeah… It sort of felt… wrong. To even know about. Like I shouldn’t be thinking about it. But now I can’t  _ stop  _ thinking about it, Scarfy.”

And another box was checked.

Felix scooted a little closer to her. “I know what you mean. I was really out of it the next few days afterward. It just… haunted me, I guess.”

Dark Gunner suddenly sighed, drawing the pair’s attention back to their company.

“Dammit. You just can’t let me be mad at you, can you?” The blonde muttered.

Felix grinned for the first time that week. “Nope. Sorry. Only love and acceptance here.”

Their warlock giggled. “I can get behind that.”

“I’m half-and-half but I’ll let it slide for now,” KeyMaster added in.

“So…” Felix drawled. “Beanie-Baby. Still just aim?”

Dark Gunner tugged down his mask, finally going for his drink. “Yeah. Aim. What about you? Any other new developments?”

KeyMaster and Magic Bat at least  _ tried _ not to look too interested. Miles, being Miles, didn't even try to hide the smirk on his face.

_ “Has he been like this all day?” _ Flex asked, finally breaking his uncharacteristic silence as well as providing an excellent diversion for Felix to latch onto.

“You ruined my comedic timing, Flex,” Felix groaned, “I totally had something lined up. What have I said about distracting me?”

_ “Don’t lie to yourself,” _ the scarf joked.

“Wow,” Magic Bat whispered. “I completely forgot your scarf talked to you. Again.”

_ “Hey! And after I said I liked you too, you brat!” _

“Flex says he likes you, Batty,” Felix smiled.

_ “I’ll choke you in your sleep.” _

“And to answer your question, Blondie,” Felix started off, having collected his thoughts. “I haven’t. Does make you wonder, though. I should probably start testing for more.”

“No!” Magic Bat suddenly yelled, panic in his eyes. “Don’t you dare! Not after last time!”

KeyMaster choked on her drink. “Excuse me? What are we talking about now?”

Magic Bat, in all his innocent glory, sent a glare at Felix. “Don’t pretend the lampost stunt at the start of summer  _ wasn’t _ some kind of test. And until we get some sort of proper explanation for the time you  _ jumped off a building _ \--”

“It was really more like falling, all things considered.”

“--I’m considering it an experiment to test your abilities. So, I’m putting my foot down. No testing powers for you. God only knows what you’ll do next.”

Dark Gunner’s brows furrowed. “I keep forgetting that you did that.”

Felix shrugged. “Ah, well, you see--”

Thankfully, he didn’t have to finish his sentence. However, like most times KeyMaster interrupted him, he sure how to feel about it.

It took him a moment too long to process that she was laughing. The sounds escaping her mouth were awkward, varying in pitch, and very much unpracticed. It was so much the opposite of what Felix had come to associate the girl with that he took even longer to realize that this was the first time he’d heard her laugh in isolation.

Or maybe it was the first time he’d heard her laugh at all.

_ “Now  _ that _ is weird,” _ Flex muttered.

“Sorry… I just, hah!” She wheezed out. “It just clicked what you meant a while back and -- hah -- it’s just been such a weird month, I just…”

She looked straight at Felix again, smiling in a way he’d never seen her smile before, bright, open, and genuine. The weight on his heart loosened a little.

“I guess a dose your stupidity can do wonders for entertainment.”

Aaand things were back to normal. He grinned back at her.

“Whatever I can do to help,” he pledged jokingly.

In the background, he heard Magic Bat giggling and Dark Gunner coughing. That was, until, Magic Bat broke the joyful moment.

“Hey, guys,” the warlock broke in, frowning at one of his cards. “Robbery a few streets down.”

Felix glanced at the others, silently asking if they’d be joining him. KeyMaster sighed and shook her head. Dark Gunner looked apologetic. Magic Bat smiled eagerly. 

“Okay, then,” Felix announced, rising to his feet and finishing off the last of the sweet, tender reprieve from exhaustion that was his coffee, before turning to face Magic Bat.

If Dark Gunner coughed as Felix extended his hand to the warlock, Felix ignored it.

~

By the time he and Magic Bat were done handling the robbery -- as well as scramming before the cops arrived -- Felix had formulated a brief to-do list to keep him distracted from his plights for a while:

  1. Get some more coffee.



  1. Tie up some loose ends.



Batty never disagreed to Felix’s suggestions anyway and the scarf-clad teen knew there wasn’t much he could do to actually get the guy to disagree even if he wanted to so he didn’t actually bother running the plan past him -- he just told him to feel free to duck out at any time.

He was pretty sure that made the warlock concerned for his health, though -- probably worried he’d go test his powers after all -- and so he continued to stick by Felix.

Felix didn’t particularly mind.

Coffee in hand, the pair made their way over to the West Side.

It’d been a while since Felix had last met up with Deathwish -- he was pretty sure it was at least a month -- and, though he hadn’t exactly missed the man’s company, he figured it was due time.

“Okay, Batty?” He started off after placing the call. “I’m sure you’re a little concerned right now.”

The warlock huffed. “That’s an understatement. This place feels… gross.”

_ “You can say that again…” _ Flex grumbled.

Felix sighed. “You’re both so judgemental… Actually, Batty, you’re the opposite of judgemental, which is all the more reason why you should chillax a bit. We won’t get hurt, promise.”

_ “Chillax? Really?” _

“It’s a good word!” Felix protested.

Magic Bat’s warm smile felt sinister. “Yeah, for the 2000s.”

“I’ve been such a bad influence on you,” Felix groaned. “Wait, how could you even know which word we were talking about?”

Magic Bat rose up a fine brow. “What other word was as dated as  _ chillax _ ?”

“Your buddy’s got a point, Scarfy,” Deathwish suddenly drawled from behind them.

Felix wasn’t ashamed of the flinch that racked through his body. After all, his warlock gave an ungodly squeak.

The informant gave a chuckle, stepping into the light for them to see. A smile adorned his otherwise obscured face.

He looked the pair of vigilantes up and down and whistled. “Damn. I owe Val twenty bucks, now. Ya’ two really are a pair.”

Felix brushed the joke off. “Batty, this is Deathwish, the info broker I mentioned a while back. Deathwish, well, you already know.”

“Yup!” The man grinned, sliding a bit closer to the pair. “It’s a pleasa’.”

The informant lingered on Magic Bat for a moment and Felix smirked. 

“Let’s  _ not _ discuss the blurry facial features thing right now,” the teen suggested. “I actually have some important questions and a big favor.”

“Oh? And what would those be?” Deathwish asked, finally relaxing against the wall beside the pair of vigilantes.

“First off…” Felix began, matching his eyes with the info broker’s as best he could through the man’s hood. “Did you know that there was going to be an attack on Harborside High?”

Deathwish instantly stiffened up, immediately breaking the carefree persona Felix had always seen him with. He was quiet for a moment.

“I… No, Scarfy, I didn’t. I only got word of it once it was already going down,” the informant spoke, voice changing from his usual accent to a much more local one. “I swear… if I’d known, I would have called the police about it. Children are where I draw the line…”

A flicker of the man who’d been so willing to help the confused, undercover teen leaked through at that and Felix smiled lightly. He turned to quickly gauge his warlock’s reaction and saw the conflicting emotions that took residence on the boy’s face.

Deathwish continued on. “If I was a fighter like you two, I’d’ve gone to help… but I’m not. All I have is my mind and my contacts. I’m… glad things went okay.”

Felix sighed. “Do you want to make it up to me?”

Deathwish instantly brightened up, accent returning. “This where ya’ favor comes in?”

“I…” Felix glanced at Magic Bat again before turning back to the informant. “I may or may not have used my real phone to call the police as Scarfboy during the incident.”

His warlock stiffened up beside him. “You did what?! When did this happen? That’s so reckless!”

“I had to alert the police of our plan so they could be prepared,” Felix explained. “It was necessary but… well, I’m assuming the police haven’t looked into it much yet since they’re still dealing with the gang business. I haven’t gotten taken into questioning yet, after all. But they  _ will _ likely get around to it and my story that it was “borrowed” won’t hold up long if that happens.”

His gaze on Deathwish suddenly made him feel awkward so he shifted his eyes away. “I was… well, I was hoping you could find some way to mess with the Chief’s call history.”

“You…” Magic Bat stuttered out. “You called the Chief of Police  _ directly _ ?”

The scarf-clad teen pinched the bridge of his nose, equally annoyed with the situation. “I mean… it got their attention, right?”

Deathwish's mouth turned into a smirk again. “I’ll do ya’ one betta’. I’ll call in a favor of my own. They won’t investigate ya’. I’ll even have the Chief delete the call record by himself.”

Felix stared for a moment before he broke out a large grin. “You’d do that for me? Fuck-- You  _ can _ do that for me?”

Deathwish shrugged. “Believe me, the boys in blue have racked up more than a few IOUs with me. I have a few to spare for an old friend.”

Felix was about to thank the man when he continued on.

“Plus, it’s safer this way,” he said, smile resembling that of a snake. “If I had to do it myself, I dunno if I’d be able to resist diving around for your real name.”

Despite the tense air the words should have created, Felix’s grin didn’t falter. 

“You know…” he drawled. “I don’t know if that would be an  _ entirely _ bad thing.”

Felix threw the informant a wink, knowing damn well it wouldn't actually show but feeling so damn good doing it, before turning away. “Well, you’re a busy man, so we’ll get out of your hair… if you have any.”

Just as Felix was nodding to Magic Bat that it was time to take off, Deathwish called back out.

“Hey, guys. Real quick,” he asked, walking back to the back door of the restaurant leisurely. “Just outta curiosity, out of all you vigilantes, whose name do you think is the worst?”

Magic Bat, ever-positive, spoke first. “I dunno. KeyMaster’s is really cool and Dark Gunner’s definitely fits him, but I don’t know if any are  _ bad _ , per se.”

Deathwish’s head swiveled back to Felix. “And you?”

Felix scoffed. “Is it even a question? Mine.”

A kinder smile graced Deathwish’s lips. “Yeah… Yeah, I guessed as much.”

With that, the informant disappeared back into the building, the door closing behind him softly.

The pair of vigilantes was silent for a moment before Magic Bat spoke up again, turning and smiling widely at Felix.

“He seems like a good person,” the warlock appraised.

Felix shut his scarf’s protests to the contrary out of his mind.

~

Felix was actually rather grateful that he woke up in bed the next morning and not on his desk or floor again. It always felt good to  _ not _ be bent in half or freezing cold when waking up.

Thankfully, it was Saturday, so the extra three hours he’d slept in past his alarm didn’t exactly mean much to his day. Rather, they felt like a nice pat on the back for even making it through the week.

Groggily, he pulled himself up, muttered a quick greeting to Flex -- currently hidden behind his laundry basket, if he wasn’t mistaken -- and made his way out to the kitchen.

He almost regretted going out once he saw Chester’s face but overall decided that his morning coffee  _ was _ more important in the long run.

It did beg a question, though.

He took a look at Chester, currently busy playing some mobile game, looked at the clock to find that it was past noon, and back at Chester.

“What  _ are _ your work hours?” Felix asked, honestly affronted.

Chester snapped his head up, seemingly not having even noticed Felix’s presence. “I don’t even know anymore, if we’re being honest. I got home about two hours ago. They told me to take the weekend off. I’m gonna head to the store in, like, 5 minutes if you need anything.”

Felix felt like questioning more but held back, knowing simply interacting too much with the people masquerading as his parents stood to give him a sick feeling deep inside of him.

He glanced around the kitchen again. “No… no, I’m fine. Where’s…”

Chester grinned dopily. “Julie also has weird hours, kid. Actually, a college professor at work past noon isn’t weird…”

The man’s pout almost made Felix forget about the reality of the situation.

It didn’t.

Sighing a little as he went, he grabbed his coffee and went back to his room. He had just closed his door when Flex spoke up.

_ “Hey, Felix, your timing is really awful,” _ his scarf commented.

Frowning, Felix set his coffee down on his desk and went to pull his scarf out from its hiding space. “What do you mean?”

_ “Your phone rang the moment you left,” _ his scarf informed him.  _ “You sure keeping it at such a low volume is really that helpful?” _

Groaning, Felix wrapped his friend around his neck before grabbing his phone and checking his missed calls, fully expecting it to be Brody or maybe Miles.

He didn’t expect the eagle emoji he’d set as Candor’s contact name to appear.

Blinking owlishly at the screen, his brain floored for a second as he processed what he missed.

“It was Candor,” he informed Flex.

_ “Is there a voicemail?” _ The scarf asked.

There was.

Suddenly incredibly anxious, Felix grabbed his earbuds and plugged them in. After a quick moment of internal debate, he tied one end of the wire around the end of Flex that resembled a head and pressed “Play”.

”Hey, Felix,” the message started off, voice hushed. “It’s Candor. Uh… I guess you must be busy. I don’t have a lot of time though so I’m just gonna leave a message. If I don’t pick up when you call back, assume I’ll be able to reply later. Anyway, the point. I’ve done some more investigating around here. I don’t think I can say much of importance, but it’s something. First things first, I gave Cara your number this morning and explained things to her. You’ll probably be getting a text from her sometime today.”

Felix quickly checked his notifications to confirm that there hadn’t been any texts yet before refocusing his attention.

“Another point to our theory: Some of the areas in this facility are insanely well-guarded. I wasn’t even able to access a broom closet yesterday because it was labeled “Special Access Only.” So even the walls are lying to us, now… I tried testing out a few of our friends, too. Nothing. Wilt’s as confused as he normally is so, as much as I love the guy, he’s no help. Gloria was  _ very _ upset when I suggested anything odd about the combat training. Valentina and Nora still kinda don’t like me that much so they didn’t really let me talk. Ricky was the most helpful. Complained that his roller skates keep going missing. Personally, I think Harlow might be behind it because, well, it’s  _ Harlow _ we’re talking about here, but there’s still a chance it’s some equipment experimentation thing.”  Candor’s voice got quiet after the last sentence.

“I… I don’t like this, Felix,” Candor admitted. “ _ Nobody _ notices  _ anything _ ! It’s freaking me out. I can’t believe they had Cara and I and  _ you _ like that, too. Just… ignorant. Clueless.”

Felix, whose mind was still trying to keep up with all the names Candor had listed off and keeping the feeling that  _ he should know these names _ at bay, almost didn’t recognize the fear in Candor’s voice. He definitely would’ve missed it if the same horror wasn’t inscribed into his heart by this point.

“I… we want to meet up with you soon. I’ll try to find out more in the meantime but… Until then, please stay out of trouble? I haven't been able to access the internet for a few days cause Nora cut me off -- she’s the only reason we really have access to the outside world -- so I have no clue what on Earth you could be getting up to but I bet it’s not safe. Call me back when you can, okay? Talk to you soon.”

And with that, the message cut off.

Leaning back in his chair, Felix sighed and rubbed at his temples. It was just… confusing, at this point. His life, that is. Somehow, he’d experienced such a range of emotions over the last week that he was left feeling completely drained. But, still, he couldn’t slow down now.

_ “So… what now?” _

Felix considered the question before he heard the telltale sound of the front door closing, signifying they were home alone, and grinning to himself.

“ _ Apparently _ , I’m a fan of lunch dates. I think the only thing I can really do is set one up.”


	17. [The Talk™]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunch date time.

All things considered, Felix managed pretty well in wait for Wednesday. 

He managed to A) Not have another emotional breakdown, B) Keep on the down-low in front of Miles, and C) Pretend like he wasn’t avoiding Juliana, Chester, and Brody.

There were just certain things he wasn’t ready to deal with yet.

There were, however, certain subjects he  _ was _ ready to broach.

And they were standing across the street from him at the entrance to Havenden University in all their blonde glory.

School had ended about 20 minutes ago and Felix had immediately made for the predetermined location he’d find Candor and Cara Evans at. Looking at them now, in the moments before they spotted him, he noticed just how out of place they looked. Candor kept glancing around nervously, tugging at the collar and sleeves of his blue sweater as though he were overheating despite the chill in the air. Cara, meanwhile, was rummaging through her light pink bag, though it seemed as though she wasn’t looking for anything in particular, and occasionally pulled the rose-gold scarf draped around her shoulders back into place.

Felix recognized the habits as anxious behaviors he often exhibited himself, once again feeling that subtle whisper of familiarity with the pair. The moment Candor spotted him and alerted Cara, however, the duo seemed to immediately find their composure. The rapid change was actually a little humorous.

When Felix finally made his way across the street, he gave them a bright smile.

“Okay, so,” he started off. “I’m pretty sure we won’t have any issues but on the off-chance I run into anyone I know, you two are friends from my last school before I moved here and I’m giving you a tour of the college area because you’re considering the school. We clear on that?”

The blondes briefly shared a look before returning their eyes to Felix and nodding.

“How worried should we about having to use that excuse, exactly?” Candor asked.

Felix shrugged. “Solid 5%. Juliana doesn’t have any classes today so she’s having her weekly depressive bout. Chester doesn’t work around the area. Any other people in the area would have to discover my identity first. Plus, there are so many young people on this side of town that anyone overhearing us would either figure we’re talking about a show or just not care. I doubt anyone would immediately put two and two together so I’m pretty sure we’re good.”

Cara’s eyes widened a bit as she swiveled her head to look back at the school. “Dr. Lovebury works here? I never would have pegged her as a teacher…”

She glanced up at Candor, eyes nearly pleading. “Couldn’t that mean there’s more of a chance they’re brainwashed, too?”

Candor shook his head. “We can’t say for sure. It could be a purposeful misdirection should suspicion be thrown at her.”

Felix rose an eyebrow. “That’s assuming they had time to think any of this out.”

The siblings both pondered the statement before sighing, nearly in unison. Cara nodded in concession. “Okay, okay, yeah. More discussion needed before we can get our hopes up.”

When she looked back up to speak to Felix, he beat her to it.

“Listen, Cara…” he blurted out, staring down at his feet. “Um, well… I should apologize. I already have to Candor but you deserve it, too. I’m sorry I had such a bad reaction last time we met. I was overwhelmed but… you guys were too, right?”

She was silent for a moment before letting out a giggle. “God, you really are the same… Don’t sweat it, Felix. Candor was all puffed up, too.”

“Hey!” Candor protested. Felix, even with his eyes averted, could hear the smile on his lips.

Felix brought his gaze back up. “Okay. Let’s walk n’ talk!”

He began walking down the sidewalk, Candor and Cara immediately flanking him on both sides.

“So,” he began, ignoring how naturally their position had formed. “I wanted to share a few of my observations regarding the symptoms of the brainwashing.”

Candor muttered “nerd” quietly. Cara nodded for him to continue.

Felix rolled his eyes. “So, what I’ve noticed recently about myself and the, uh, others, is that there’s a sort of intrinsic instinct within us to shy away from asking certain questions.”

Candor hummed. “Like ignoring the holes in your story?”

“Yeah,” Felix agreed, “but it might be on a smaller scale for them. I don’t know how much of Miles’ life is, for instance, fake, but given that he has a friend who has said they went to elementary school together, I know that he at least has the majority of his memories. So it might also take the form of just the big questions if there aren’t many little details to make up for.”

Cara frowned. “Miles is…?”

Felix glanced around them before making a little finger gun gesture.

Her eyes brightened in understanding. “Have you two talked yet?”

Felix shook his head. “I’m not even sure what to  _ say _ . Plus, he seems… angrier… than I am, so I’m a little scared of what his reaction will be. Otherwise, I  _ think _ he’s catching onto my identity, but… there’s the brainwashing thing, again. I’m pretty sure there’s an aspect of it that recognizes the other vigilantes as related to H.E.B.S.”

“How does  _ that _ work?” Candor asked.

Shrugging, Felix said, “Not sure. But I know I used to be extremely wary about meeting the others in town and now they’re some of my closest friends… I think. Plus, I never really wanted to know who they were, which is respectful but also a little weird. I was fine with it remaining a secret forever until I met Miles at school. To be fair, though, I can’t tell how much of that is brainwashing and how much is my own anxiety.”

Cara sighed heavily. “I always knew your anxiety would come back to bite us…”

“Even if you seem a lot more confident now,” Candor amended, looking Felix up and down. “It still feels weird seeing you without glasses or a sweater vest.”

“Or a  _ scarf _ ,” Cara emphasized. Candor nodded along vigorously.

Felix frowned. “Okay, this is off-topic, but seriously, why do guys keep saying I have some deep devotion to scarves? Sure, I have Flex, but…”

Cara thoughtfully tugged at her own scarf. “You know? I don’t think you ever actually told us. I always just assumed you used them as a coping mechanism. Probably some form of comfort.”

“They were your typical gifts if there was ever a special occasion,” Candor added in. “Only ever to the people you were closest to, though. And you typically made them yourself.”

Felix, curious, examined Cara’s scarf. “...Is that one…?”

She nodded slowly. “Yeah. For Candor and I’s 15th birthday last year.”

Suddenly thrown off, Felix stopped in his tracks. “Wait. Are you two twins?”

The blondes threw each other a confused look.

“Did that…” Candor stuttered out. “Did that never come through?”

Felix shook his head. “No. No, I don’t think you ever corrected me when I assumed Cara was just your sister.”

“Huh,” Cara murmured. “That’s so  _ weird _ .”

The trio was silent for a moment.

“Anyway,” Candor broke in, “let’s get back on topic.”

“Right!” Cara exclaimed. “Felix. After Candor told me about the, um… skin situation, I remembered something you told me about around a year ago.”

Candor looked aghast. “You  _ remember _ one of Felix’s science rants from  _ that _ long ago?”

Cara sent her twin a challenging look. “You finally admitting you tune him out?”

Felix tried to cut in but Candor was faster. 

“It’s damn near incomprehensible if you’re not a massive nerd!” Candor defended himself. “Plus, who could’ve guessed it would be vitally important?”

Cara smirked. “Excuses, excuses. You just don’t want to admit I’m the better friend.”

“We both know--”

“Guys?” Felix finally managed to meekly stutter out, finally breaking their tirade. “Possibly life-threatening concerns?”

The twins, at least, had the decency to look embarrassed.

“Right,” Cara agreed. “So, basically, you were nerding out about this experiment you did on this synthetic muscle fiber. Apparently, when mimicking facial muscles, it had some trouble only closing one eye, and you had managed to make it wink 7 out of 10 times that day. You were really excited about the possible applications once it was finished. You did say there were still a few kinks, though, like how it doesn’t age or go through cellular reproduction the same as real skin.”

Felix suddenly felt extremely itchy. “Do you think that’s what they used on me? Wait, does it age faster or slower?”

Cara’s smile faltered a bit but she maintained it nonetheless. “You might have baby-face for a bit longer than most people.”

Candor seemed to at least  _ try _ not to laugh before asking, “But doesn’t Felix have a healing factor? How would that work without the cells?”

Cara, finally, seemed not to know. “I  _ think _ he mentioned Dr. Lovebury working on an, and I quote, “enhanced faux-cellular regenerative property,” but it was only in passing and I have no clue what it actually means.”

Felix’s mind went blank. “To enhance is to improve. In this case, it could very well mean to improve past the original’s capability. Since it doesn’t have cells naturally, to be faux-cellular likely means to mimic the cellular cycle. The regenerative property of the material is likely very similar to actual cells while still maintaining the benefits from being fake, thus allowing it to be better and why I can easily recover from a stab wound.”

Before he even caught up with what he’d spouted out, the blondes had turned sharply towards him, frowns evident on their faces.

“Excuse me!?” Cara yelled, horror in her eyes.

“Why exactly do you know you can recover from a stab wound, Felix?” Candor spoke cooly.

Felix briefly considered telling them about the long list of near-death experiences he’d had over the summer, including the attack on his high school last week, but decided it was probably better not to shoot himself in the foot a second time.

“Uh…” he scrunched up his nose. “It was early on. Before…”  _ For the love of all that is caffeinated, do NOT mention the undercover stint. _ “Before the school year ended. One of the first weeks I went out. Learned a good lesson then -- listen to Flex when he yells at me.”

Cara looked ready to yell at him again but Candor cut her off.

“Wait, hold on, there’s something I need to get straight,” he sighed. “You keep mentioning this Flex person? But you also talked about him in reference to your scarf…”

Felix actually managed a full laugh again. “Oh, right. Flex is my scarf. The silver one? You were probably concerned about me talking to myself when we met on the rooftop. That was him. Pretty sure he’s AI. He probably came from H.E.B.S. now that I think about it. It would make the most sense, especially considering he was as mind-wiped as I was.”

When he checked the expressions on the twins’ faces, they at least looked less angry.

“Wait, Candor,” Cara blinked owlishly. “Do you think… his project?”

Candor was staring at Felix curiously. “Maybe. He _did_ say it was extremely ambitious…”

Felix, not for the first time in his life and definitely not the last, felt lost. 

“Uh, hey, what’s this about?” He asked.

The twins looked at one another before Cara turned back to Felix. 

“A few months before… you know. Well, you told us you were working on some big project. You kept it secret because you were worried about jinxing it,” she explained. “It’s just… you made so many scarves for yourself and for others… and science  _ is _ your area…”

“It’s not impossible by a long shot,” Candor finished.

The thought was a little bit obvious, now that Felix thought about it. Flex had always just… fit. Their constant banters, the emotional support, the fact that  _ only Felix could hear him _ . It was almost  _ too  _ obvious that Felix must have been the one to build Flex.

_ Man, if only I could remember those skills. It'd make a killer science fair project _ , he lamented internally.  _ If, that is, I ever actually had the confidence to compete… _

“God, I’m a mess…” he breathed out quietly.

“What did you say?” Cara asked.

“Nothing!” He quickly deflected. “Anyway, currently unanswerable questions aside, there  _ is _ something on my mind. Candor, over the phone call, you mentioned… um, well, a lot of names. I was wondering how the inner workings of H.E.B.S. work on a social level. Obviously, you guys had enough free time to talk to  _ me _ , right? What’s it like with the others and how easy would it be to control those relations?”

Candor blinked, obviously a little lost for a second before regaining his composure.

“Well, it’s changed a bit recently,” he began. “But, before, other than set appointments, we basically had free reign of the places we were allowed. There’s a pretty big courtyard area so we never felt too claustrophobic. We were even allowed to go to the nearest town once or twice a month so long as we had an adult supervisor with us.”

Cara nodded along to confirm. “You were typically too busy ‘cause they always had you doing all sorts of science stuff… or maybe something else now that we know the truth, but the trips were usually disguised as though we were private school students. Lots of shopping trips and movies. What I guess are normal teenager activities?”

Felix shrugged. “I wouldn’t consider anything I do normal, per se, so I have no clue.”

Candor grimaced. “You’re still far closer than we are.”

“Fair enough,” Felix smirked to himself. “Anyway, carry on.”

“Right,” the blonde boy agreed. “So, yeah, we used to actually have a lot of freedom. But, well, then the fire happened and…”

He threw a beseeching look to his sister.

She picked up the slack. “Things changed fast after that. Suddenly, we couldn’t go into town anymore and more facilities were labeled off-limits. Combat training started up. Which, if I’m being honest, is kinda fun, but… it’s not fun to question what it’s for.”

Candor collected himself again. “The only reason we’re even able to sneak out to meet you is because of the days off they give us from combat. They never really come looking for us, so as long as Cara sneaks us out of the building…”

Cara grinned. “...Candor can fly us wherever we wanna go!”

Felix sent a curious look at the presumably-older boy. “So, uh, the wings...”

“Built-in,” Candor confirmed. “You may have noticed I’m kinda taller when they're tucked away than I am when they’re out. Conservation of matter and all that.”

“Speaking of physics…” Cara smiled widely. “You  _ also _ may have noticed his hair.”

“Can we please not?” Candor pleaded quietly.

His pleas were ignored.

“His hair naturally lays flat,” Cara continued on. “But whenever he flies: WHOOSH! It gets all pushed up! It’s like bed-head but worse!”

Candor didn’t seem to find it funny.

Felix  _ definitely _ did.

Still, though, he knew he had to go and ruin the mood again.

He pulled out his phone and showed the twins a candid shot he'd taken of Miles that week.

“Quick question: Does this guy look familiar to either of you?” The teen asked quietly. “I’m almost certain he must have been in the hands of H.E.B.S. at some point but it’s worth figuring out how sloppy they are when it comes to erasing people… or if they maybe have other areas where they keep the more experimental test subjects,”

The blondes scrutinized the picture for a moment before soberly confirming they didn't recognize the teen. They didn’t recognize Miles Barrett in the slightest.

It wasn’t a surprise but it was still disheartening.

~

By the time the Evans twins left, wanting to head back to H.E.B.S. before their absence was noticed, Felix was emotionally drained. He didn’t even necessarily want his only -- human -- confidants to leave him but they really had no choice -- they needed eyes and ears in the facility and, at this point, they couldn’t trust anyone else to do it, nor would they  _ want _ to put anyone else in that position.

There were a few important things he’d learned, though.

First of all, Juliana’s last name was actually Lovebury and she was  _ twenty-eight _ . Chester was only a year younger than her and, likewise, his last name wasn’t Cooper. It was Burnside.

He’d been right. They really did look young. 

Vaguely, he wondered how often their co-workers asked them for skincare tips, considering they were posing as parents to a fifteen-year-old son. Secondly, he learned that he’d been some sort of child genius. He only found it a little unfair that he was wasting whatever he still had of it via constant procrastination and sleep-deprivation.

Speaking of sleep-deprivation… he was beyond tired of today. He was already consistently spending his nights running around in a scarf and turtleneck -- that he had recently washed, thanks for asking -- and the nerves of the planned meeting with the twins had kept him restless in the sparse hours of sleep he’d actually attempted to get in over the last few days.

He needed something. And it was spelled “C-O-F-F-E-E”.

And so, as the sun was beginning to dip and the sky turned a gray-orange hue, he made his way over to  _ Popchester’s _ , fully expecting not to sleep that night anyway.

Once he entered the relatively empty cafe, though, he was met with a shock to his system.

“Fili! Come over here! There’s someone you should meet!” Ross’ voice called out to him before he even pinpointed the redhead’s location.

_ Oh, God of Caffeine _ , Felix implored to his most-cherished deity,  _ what sin have I committed to receive such a terrible punishment as forced socialization with strangers? _

Before he could let his rabbit instincts take control and scurry away, though, Ross was already upon him, slinging an arm around his shoulder and leading him over to the spot he’d presumably been in only milliseconds before.

Sitting at a table on the opposite side of the cafe to where Felix usually sat was a brunette girl, maybe a year or two older than he was, that he vaguely recognized as another occasional patron to the cafe, looking at Ross with eyes colored the same flavor of confusion Felix felt.

“Um, Ross?” Felix asked meekly, drawing the girl’s shocked eyes over to him. “What, uh… What’s this about?”

Ross rolled his eyes. “Fifi, this is another regular. Come on, now, say hello.”

Felix turned a somewhat apologetic smile on the girl. “Ah… hi, there. Please, call me Felix.”

_ Why do I have so many bad nicknames? _

The girl blinked at him before she seemed to process what had happened. “Brenna.”

Examining her closely, Felix realized he'd actually seen Brenna before in an even more specific context than just another customer. She'd been the girl who, weeks ago, Brody had pointed out to him. He hadn’t really cared too much at the time, to be honest. Now, though, he took the time to reexamine her.

Her hair was, once again, held up behind a headband with two pieces framing her face, but today she had also tied the very end of her hair together in the back, creating a sort of rounding look. Another book was laid on the table in front of her alongside a large cup of iced coffee, this time left open to somewhere near the middle. She was now looking at Felix with somewhat curious eyes as if wondering what exactly was going on.

Felix wished he could wonder the same thing.

Ross smiled brightly. “I was wondering when you two’d finally come here alone at the same time! Granted that you’re both major nerds, I sorta felt it was my duty to make sure you met!”

Brenna’s eyes turned critical, looking Felix up and down for a moment, and Felix sort of hated he could see the moment when she decided “nerd” was an apt description.

Then, her eyes widened in understanding. “Oh! You’ve mentioned him a few times.”

Felix didn’t mention that Ross hadn’t mentioned her.

“Only neutral things, I hope,” he joked, taking Ross’ cue to sit down.

Ross squinted at Felix. “Large White Chocolate Mocha with an add-shot?”

Felix laughed lightly. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

When Ross made his way over to the counter, Felix turned to the girl he’d been sat down next to.

“Ah…” he mumbled out. “Sorry for the, uh... intrusion? I don’t have enough energy to deflect Ross’s antics today so I just went along with it.”

She waved his concern off. “No problem. Ross can be kinda… overwhelming, let’s say.”

An awkward silence descended upon them and Felix quickly realized he had no clue what on Earth he was doing. So he leaned into it.

“So, uh… your book…” he stuttered out, quickly examining the contents of the page. “You studying tetrapods? I’m more of an astrophysics guy myself but paleontology is pretty cool.”

Brenna shrugged, stirring her iced coffee idly. “Astrophysics is also pretty fun. Honestly, though, chemistry is probably my favorite.”

Felix could feel his eyes brighten. “Ah, a true intellectual. Chemistry is pretty cool but I only ever really think about it in terms of pranks.”

She rose an eyebrow at him. “Let me guess. Smoke bombs?”

“Nope!” Felix snickered. “Last year, I messed around a bit with some gum and made it taste like charcoal. Completely safe but my test subj... I mean, my friend, glared at me for like, two weeks.”

Brenna seemed unimpressed but nodded along anyway. “Sounds… fun?”

“It was!” Felix agreed, forcing a bright smile onto his face to alleviate the still-awkward atmosphere. “Got detention once a teacher figured out I’d messed around like that but it was definitely worth it in the end.”

Ross, finally, returned with the sweet release that was Felix’s daily second cup of coffee.

“Which charcoal incident we talking about?” The barista asked, setting the cup of glorious caffeine and sugar down in front of Felix, who promptly checked his phone and counted out how long to wait for the drink to become cool enough.

“Taste,” Felix replied. “Not the hair one.”

“Are you sure Brody doesn’t actually hate you?” Ross asked light-heartedly.

Felix paused, suddenly extremely uncomfortable. “Uh…”

“Fifi,” Ross started, breaking his joking tone. “I’m kidding.”

Felix laughed without real mirth. “Right. Yeah, I… I know.”

Ross looked ready to retort before a coworker called to him and he had to return to actually working. He sent a “We’ll-talk-about-this-later” look to Felix before he left.

Brenna had begun to look as uncomfortable as Felix felt. “Ah… Friendship issues?”

Shrugging, Felix impulsively checked the time. “Yeah. Along those lines.”

She hovered on the topic before sighing. “Well, I can’t say I’m any good with that type of stuff.”

Felix chuckled. “I thought I was, at least with Brody, but… guess I was wrong.”

Deciding it was time to change the topic, Felix grinned widely at her. “So… how versed are you in technical bullshit?”

Brenna hummed to herself. “Not the best but I know my fair share.”

“What are your thoughts on AI?” Felix asked.

“Like, real, fully-capable AI?” She asked. When Felix nodded, she continued. “Could easily be dangerous, I guess. I haven’t tried myself but I know they’d be… difficult to get right.”

“Scale of minor disobedience to SkyNet, what’s the most likely result?” Felix continued on, finally taking a small sip of coffee before grimacing and placing it back down.

“Solid chance of genocide but honestly, I’d at least  _ like _ to think people would be smart enough to neutralize the dangers before then,” Brenna replied, smirking slightly sadistically before taking a long, uninterrupted sip of her iced coffee.

Felix sent a slight glare at her. “Fair enough… but how much faith can we really have in people?”

“Despite it being their  _ job _ ?” Brenna scoffed, rolling her eyes. “None.”

“I mean… I’d like to have  _ some  _ hope in others…” Felix equivocated.

_ The hope is kinda dampened by the fact that I’ve been illegally experimented on _ , Felix considered, _ but hey, I’m an optimist… right? _

“Have fun with that,” Brenna sighed. “I, meanwhile, plan on playing it safe.”

_ Not a bad plan, _ Felix appraised before continuing on to a new subject.

~

Felix genuinely surprised both himself and -- it seemed -- Ross by how long he stayed to chat with a relative stranger. Ross would later admit that Brenna had said she’d been planning on leaving soon so he hadn’t expected any real amount of time to be spent but Felix was majorly none the wiser to that fact.

He was also surprised when Brenna suggested meeting up again, giving him her phone number after he spent a good few seconds in shock over -- apparently -- making yet another friend.

He was really gonna lose track of how many people he knew at this rate.

That didn’t mean he was complaining, though. Over the course of their hour-long talk, Felix had discovered one thing  _ very _ important to take note of: Brenna was  _ cool _ . She knew exactly which academic cords to stroke to keep their little intellectual exchange going and she even responded to his dumb jokes in kind every once in a while.

She was also a  _ bit _ cold and had, every now and then, said something Felix considered ever-so-slightly hurtful and he had belatedly realized he didn’t know her last name but, overall, she was pretty cool.

He’d set her contact picture to a snowman with glasses, just for shits and giggles.

The next day, however, he was far less giggly. 

Brody had, once again, been rather cold to Felix, and the teen was starting to realize he’d have to do something soon if he wanted a chance to salvage the longest-lasting friendship he could remember.

As per usual, though, Brody was a step in front of him.

He’d never quite figure out how but, by the time he got home, Brody was already waiting on his curb for him, for once not making himself immediately at home.

“We’re talking,” he announced once Felix had entered speaking-range. 

Felix just nodded, heading over to the door and letting Brody in.

Once inside, Brody took Felix by the wrist and marched directly to Felix’s room. The teen had a momentary panic attack before remembering he’d, in fact, tucked Flex away properly this morning. Brody immediately sat down on Felix’s bed, leaving the brunette to sit warily in his swivel chair.

“Okay,” he started off. “I… I’ve been pushing this back, but, really, Felix... “

He turned large, pleading eyes onto Felix. “Please… what’s been going on with you lately? No… really, it’s been like this since we met, hasn’t it? ‘Cause you’ve always been sort of distant and some topics have always seemed to bother you but… it’s obviously getting worse lately.”

Felix, despite all of his urges to say something back, was at a loss. He bit his tongue and looked at the ground, choking down his words.

Brody waited a moment before sighing heavily. “Okay… listen. I… I  _ know _ I can be sort of… well, clingy when it comes to friends. A few people even say I get  _ overly _ -attached and… I get it. I really do. I get that I come on too strong and can feel invasive. And I  _ know _ that we’ve only known each other for under a year so you may not feel comfortable with my form of attachment but…”

Felix hesitantly raised his eyes to meet Brody’s teary ones. But, before he could comment on the contrary, Brody continued, lowering his own gaze.

“I… you’ve met my parents, right? Last May?” the boy asked.

Felix clawed through his memories and nodded. “Yeah. Your birthday party, right?”

“Right,” Brody confirmed. “Well, they’re, uh, not my biological parents. They adopted me when I was about six. I don’t remember a  _ lot _ of my birth parents but… I remember the months in between them leaving me at an orphanage and being taken in. I just felt so… so fucking… Just-- Like I hadn’t been worth their while or something. So, I guess, well, I get kinda scared of people leaving me.”

Memories flashed into Felix’s mind: The crushing realization that Juliana and Chester might be faking, Brody leaving behind their old friend group to stay with Felix, the striking panic he’d felt upon comprehending that the other vigilantes had likely been fucked over by H.E.B.S. too…

Felix  _ got  _ it… and yet…

Brody continued on, rambling at a rapid pace. “So, I  _ know _ I can be too much sometimes and maybe the worry I exert over you isn’t warranted by our friendship or even from a wrong place but I promise, I  _ have _ been trying to get better recently. It’s just that there’s something  _ obviously _ troubling you and I’m so scared that whatever it is might take you away and maybe I can’t lay claim to you like that but  _ still _ \--”

“Brody,” Felix tried to cut his friend off. “It’s… it’s not that. I--”

Brody, at least, slowed down, meeting Felix’s eyes again. “I… I know it’s silly… We barely know each other and I’ve only known you since the start of the year… but… I… I consider you my best friend, Felix. I love spending time with you and I really care about you.”

If Felix’s cheeks had started to feel wet, he ignored it. “No! It’s not silly, Brody. I… I feel the same. I can’t even remember another friendship that’s lasted as long as this.”

Brody’s eyes sharpened. “Then why won’t you let me  _ in _ , Felix? If we’re best friends, why don’t you  _ trust _ me?”

Felix felt his heart implode on itself as he struggled to even breathe. He wanted,  _ so badly _ , to tell Brody everything. To cry on his shoulder about everything that was  _ wrong _ in his life and how he was already so  _ tired _ of it. He felt like he couldn’t catch a single break recently and he was so overwhelmed by it that he felt like screaming sometimes and  _ all he wanted _ was to be able to talk to the person he trusted most about all this but--

He bowed his head and stayed silent.

He  _ couldn’t _ . Brody already had enough issues to deal with and deserved the reprieve of youth that Felix wasn’t able to find. He didn’t deserve to be constantly worried his best friend might die at any second, any night that he went out because he’d gone and done something stupid and easily avoidable. He didn’t deserve to worry about corrupt organizations that experimented on children or Felix’s amnesia or that one of the people in their immediate friend group was a murderer.

Brody Warren deserved better than that. He deserved better than what Felix could give him.

Felix waited for what must have been an eternity before Brody gave up on waiting.

“Fine…” the teen sighed. “I get it. I really do. I guess… I just have to accept what role in your life you’re willing to give me, right?”

A laugh came out but it honestly sounded closer to a choked sob.

“I… I get it, Felix. I… I’ll still worry, of course. I’m Brody Warren and you’re Felix J. Cooper. It’s inevitable that I’ll still always care and worry. But…”

Sounds of movement shocked Felix into raising his gaze again, only to see Brody moving toward the doorway, looking at Felix bittersweetly.

“I won’t prod anymore. No questions, no nagging, nothing. We’ll… we’ll be back to how we used to be, alright?”

Before Felix could find the words to respond with -- words that he wasn’t even sure of which direction they’d take him in -- Brody disappeared through the frame, closing the door as he went.

Felix sat still for a minute, listening as the front door opened and Brody truly left. 

He… he wasn’t sure how he felt. Back to normal -- that was good, right? To be back to before any doubt or questioning had happened?

But it wasn’t. This wasn’t preservation. It was regression. And it all meant that he couldn’t call Brody -- the first person he’d felt a bond with when he’d moved here, the only person whose mischievousness fit perfectly with Felix’s own,  _ Brody _ \-- his best friend anymore.

It wouldn’t be fair or even accurate.

He was pretty sure Flex had started calling out to him at one point, probably wanting to talk Felix through what had happened, but Felix didn’t care. He didn’t  _ want _ to talk things through right now, to find some peace with the situation or establish a game plan to fix things.

All he wanted was a distraction.

And so, ignoring that he’d only met her the day prior and giving into his loneliest instincts, Felix pressed on Brenna’s contact, getting up out of his chair to brew a pot of coffee.

“Hey! Brenna! Quick question: How would one go about holding gallium without it melting and without freezing it?”


	18. [Hey Look, It’s the Title of the Book]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eighteen chapters for something very simple to make sense, oof

Felix would be the first to admit that he wasn’t perfect.

In fact, he was pretty sure he consisted mainly of loosely-collected faults and addictions so he’d never deny any shortcomings someone was to place on him. Dealing with subjects too serious or emotionally charged short-circuited his brain, he had a tendency to change topics or cram in not-very-funny-but-he’ll-never-admit-that jokes, he struggled to even introduce himself to people without bashing in the part of his brain that screamed that he couldn’t do it, and if something surprised him, he took too long to react to the change while his brain came up with all new emergency strategies for even the simplest of situations.

More than all of that, though, he was beginning to suspect that he was easily distracted.

He honestly couldn’t decide if it was some leftover brainwashing or an actual aspect of his personality but, when he considered the actual situations it had affected him during, he would bet his money on the latter. It could also be a product of just how much bullshit life was flinging at him recently but that’s really not relevant in the long run.

What mattered most to him on the 24th of September, during a time that he should’ve been using to sleep or finish up his weekend homework or  _ something _ more productive, was something he’d been putting off for close to a year now.

He just couldn’t stand the name “Scarfboy” anymore. Among everything else, among the myriad of troubles he’d faced and shitstorms he was sure lied in his future, he’d managed to clear his mind enough to face things one at a time. 

And, well, he might as well start from the top.

And so, against all sorts of better judgment and prioritization, he spent his last Sunday night as “Scarfboy” doing  _ very _ shady research.

_ “Felix!”  _ his scarf whispered harshly at him.  _ “What on Earth are you doing?” _

Felix paused in his actions, glancing away from the signal tower he was removing paneling from and tugging on Flex. “Was I not clear enough? I’m breaking into the internet.”

_ “That’s not how it works and we both know it, idiot. Not to mention that this is incredibly illegal…” _ Flex insisted, wiggling in Felix’s hold.

“Flex…” the teen drawled, returning to his work and tugging a panel off. “Do tell, what do you think the legality of vigilanting is?”

There was a moment of silence.  _ “How long have you been sitting on that word?” _

Felix grimaced, carefully shoving several electrical wires to the side. “God, uh…. A good while. Beginning of summer?”

_ “It’s a good one,”  _ Flex sighed -- or, at least, made the sound of sighing. _ “Anyway, you have a point, but why exactly are you tearing apart a signal tower above a vegan barbeque place?” _

__ Felix grinned. “Where else would I go? Something so contradictory, so beautiful in it’s seeming meaningl--”

_ “Felix.” _

“Remember Jade Grant?” Felix conceded, changing the topic swiftly.

_ “Date: June 18th. Data: Redhead who caught you making a bad joke and about to tear open a ventilation shaft. You were embarrassed.” _

__ Felix rolled his eyes. “You know, a simple “yes” would suffice.”

_ “As would explaining yourself.” _

“I’m getting there!” Felix huffed. “So… she’s really the only non-victim civilian who’s met Sc-- my vigilante persona, right?”

_ “We’re not counting Deathwish or the Evans siblings?”  _ His silver friend asked.

“Evans  _ twins _ ,” Felix corrected. “And no, we’re not. Anyway, she seems to have a bit of a presence online and is the only person that I think I could make this plan work with.”

_ “Brody being discounted for the fact that he would recognize you on the spot?” _

“Uh, yeah…” Felix faltered, smile falling. “Yeah, um, sure. Let’s go with that.”

_ “Kid… you know, if you need to talk--” _ Flex started before breaking off.

“Yeah… I know, Flex,” the teen sighed heavily. “Just… not yet.”

Instead of giving his scarf a chance to respond, Felix carried on. “Anyway, people have their eyes on Jade Grant. This gives me the perfect opportunity to send a message. Honestly, I could’ve gone with any internet server, but this one stays on really late and the buildings in the surrounding area aren’t very tall, meaning cameras can’t catch me. I don’t know if this will leave a trace or not so my house isn’t the smartest idea.”

There was another moment of silence before Flex wiggled a bit. 

_ “Fair enough.” _

Felix grinned widely again, hoped dearly that his power wasn’t too limited for this type of thing, closed his eyes, and focused.

The world around him melted away, leaving him in a maze of distorted noise and blaring light.

“Holy shit…” he breathed out, briefly assuming this must be what psychedelic drugs felt like -- he couldn’t say he had any experience -- before refocusing on his mission.

Luckily, he was able to jump from his current server to another and another, finally finding one with an open Watcher’s Watch page and twisting his way to the right post. Then all he had to do was find the IP address of the person who posted it and…

Felix groaned, pulling himself out of focus and moving a few feet back. “What the fuck are the chances she’s in the middle of the damn city!? That’s a good thirty minutes of my night gone.”

He stood up, quickly putting the paneling back together, before taking off, wanting to catch Jade before it was late enough that she’d be asleep.

_ “Hey, Felix, _ ” his scarf began soon after.  _ “Not that I endorse it but wouldn’t it have been easier to just visit Deathwish?” _

Felix didn’t slow down. “Don’t tell me you’re missing him already? But really, it’s illegal either way, buddy. This was just faster.”

~

His plan was streamlined and innovative, sure, but once Felix actually reached his destination, perched on the fire escape outside the window looking into the main area of the apartment, he realized he’d omitted a few major details. 

Primarily, he didn’t actually know how to  _ start _ the conversation without doing something incredibly creepy or illegal. He couldn’t just knock on their door and he definitely wasn’t going to break in. Plus, he didn’t exactly want this to be a family meeting so he’d have to find some way to talk to Jade alone and then there was the nagging fear that even if everything went right she wouldn’t  _ want _ to be associated with a vigilante even if it wouldn’t make much sense considering everything else but--

The window opened. Felix almost fell off another building.

“What are-- Oh, God! Are you okay?” a vaguely familiar, distressed voice asked.

Felix, slowly, tugged his foot back onto the metal platform and released his death grip on the railing, gazing up at the girl who’d nearly just brought him to an early grave.

_ “You’re an idiot,” _ his scarf hissed at him, tightening around his shoulders in a way Felix could only find comforting.

“Yeah,” Felix stuttered out, choosing his words carefully to answer both people speaking to him. “Mostly. But I’m lucky.”

_ Really, extremely lucky _ , he thought to himself, taking deep breaths and praising life for giving him this  _ one _ easy solution.

Jade Grant was peering out of the window at him, concerned features slowly turning to slight amusement. He really hadn’t gotten that good of a look at her the first time he’d met her, too caught up in his own dumb, momentary, poorly thought-out actions. This time, though, his actions were at least partially thought-out, so he took a moment to actually take the moment in.

Felix was  _ very _ happy to note that the coppery red-head looked  _ just _ a bit shorter than him. It honestly wasn’t by much, but it felt good. She had her hair tied up in a bun on the top of her head that was so messy he was tempted to think she’d just woken up, despite the time. Actually, given that she was wearing a tank-top and sweatpants, it seemed likely. Her eyes were an olive green and her face was covered in freckles, her nose and short eyebrows scrunching up slightly as she struggled not to laugh, likely at Felix’s still-rigid posture. 

“In that case,” she giggled out, “What exactly are you doing here?” Her amused expression dropped, eyebrows shooting up in alarm, hidden by her bangs. “Oh no, wait, is something wrong? Trouble in the building? Should I call the police?”

Felix grimaced before letting out a deep breath and covering his anxiety with a grin. “Quite the pessimist, huh? Nothing’s wrong, but…”

At his trailing off, she inclined her head toward him. “But what?”

_ God, I hate… talking… Okay, maybe I’m the pessimist here _ .

“Well, uh, I wanted to talk?” He stuttered out, wincing a the inquisitive inflection. “Nothing, y’know,  _ life-threatening _ , or anything. Just a little chat and a favor to ask.”

The red-head stared at him for a moment before smiling widely, surprising him. “Sure, why not? Come on in, my parents are out tonight.”

She stepped back from the window and Felix took a deep breath before continuing on with his plan, sliding over the window-sill as gracefully as he could, closing the window behind him.

“You’re, uh… awfully calm about this situation,” Felix commented, scanning the apartment for the girl who’d already disappeared. “Don’t tell me I’m not your first.”

He heard her laugh before she popped her head around a corner. “Don’t get jealous now. I guess I figure this is a once in a lifetime opportunity so I should just roll with it.”

“Fair enough…” Felix murmured. “And, uh, the fact that I’m wanted by the police doesn’t worry you, like, at all?”

She rose a short brow at him. “Are you asking to be kicked out?” 

At his silence, she nodded firmly. “Great. Now, do you want tea?”

Felix was pretty sure, should he accept the tea, KeyMaster would somehow immediately be able to tell that he’d sunken to what she defined as the lowest point one could and disown whatever respect he’d managed to garner from her.

“Ah, no thanks,” he declined. “Though, if you’re offering, I’ll take some coffee?”

Jade gave a quick nod. “Sure thing. Oh, but you might want to step away from the window. You’re kinda visible right now.”

As she disappeared around the corner again, Felix took her advice and went to sit down -- pretty awkwardly all things considered -- on a couch.

_ “You are such a dork, kid,” _ Flex joked, finally loosening a bit from Felix’s shoulders.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shut up.”

A few minutes later, Jade came back out and sat down next to Felix, handing him a mug of beautiful, gorgeous, warm coffee.

“I’ve missed you, friend,” Felix whispered lovingly to the mug before taking a long sip.

“I’ll ignore whatever  _ that _ was, I guess?” Jade asked.

“Oh, please do,” Felix calmly begged. “I’m just not used to warm coffee at night. Canned is fine but you get tired of it pretty fast.”

“Anyway…” Jade began. “Can I ask something?”

Felix shrugged. “Shoot.”

“Why come to me?” The girl asked. “For whatever you need, that is. We’ve met once, sure but…”

Felix paused, turning a shy gaze onto Jade. “Ah… is-- Is it not alright for me to be here after all?”

She looked shocked by the suggestion. “No! You’re good. I’m just… confused?”

“Well…” the brunette drawled. “You kinda might be the only civilian I’ve met as a vigilante and you  _ do _ have a pretty good online following… which I may or may not be about to ask you to utilize?”

Jade made a little “ah” sound. “Makes sense, I guess. Still, though, I’m not the most popular on the fansites. If you want to send a message, it would be better to go to, like, WarrenPeace, or something. People treat that guys’ words like liquid gold.”

Felix got a funny feeling at the name but pushed it down for the time being.

“Again…” he stressed. “I only know you.”

“Right,” Jade commented, eyes brightening in understanding. “You’re super awkward! Okay, I get it now. Kinda comforting to know I’m cooler than a vigilante though…”

Felix frowned sharply. “I never said… nevermind. Anyway, do you think you could record a message for me and upload it? Proof that it’s actually me, of course, and that I’m the one who’s making the request. I’m hoping people will respect me enough in your circles to act.”

“And what exactly do you need to declare?” Jade asked.

“You got your phone on you?”

The redhead nodded silently and pulled it out. “Camera?”

Felix confirmed it with a smile. “Yeah. Feel like it will have a more dramatic effect if I reveal it all at once. Things are boring if I plan too well.”

_ “Excuse your lack of forethought all you want but it doesn’t change anything,” _ Flex snarked, making Felix’s smile wobble a bit as he resisted the temptation to reply.

Jade just sighed bemusedly. “Sure, why not?”

Before either of them had time to really think things through, she rose her phone up and gestured that she was recording.

Felix turned off his brain -- if it had ever truly been on -- and let his mouth do the talking.

“Hello, city-goers!” He greeted, trying his best to lower the pitch of his voice. “Uh… is there any, like, fandom name for fansite-users?”

Jade blinked owlishly. “If anything, I’ve heard some people refer to the users as vigils.”

“Oh, that’s awful,” Felix softly snarked. “Guess I can’t judge, though. Speaking of, back to the point. I’m sure you’re all very comfortable with the name Sc-- that you’ve given me, but c’mon guys, it’s  _ humiliating.” _

Felix very pointedly refused to look at Jade when she started giggling.

“ _ That’s _ what this is about?” She asked between short laughs. “Your vigilante name?”

“ _ Yes _ , that’s what this is about,” Felix defended, crossing his arms over his chest. “I don’t mind incorporating the scarf, but c’mon,  _ KeyMaster _ gets a badass name and  _ I _ get the  _ boy _ suffix? It’s just not fair. She’s as much of a dork as I-- I’m gonna cut myself off there cause I don’t want to die next time I see her. Anyway, yeah, that’s what I’m here for.”

After a moment of pause, Jade spoke up. “So, uh, do you have a suggestion?”

Felix’s smile widened into his signature grin. “None at all! Figured I’d let you guys have  _ some _ fun, right? So, like, maybe make a poll with a few options. I just ask that you don’t choose anything embarrassing. I’ll let Jade here come up with the options because, after that vigils revelation, I don’t really trust the rest of the internet with naming things.”

He nodded at Jade who immediately cut the recording and lowered her phone. “Wow, big honor there. You sure I’m the best candidate?”

“What’s your screen-name, again?” Felix asked.

“JadeDragon.”

“I trust your naming sensibilities with my life,” Felix assured her, taking one last gulp of his drink before standing up.

“Welp, this was fun, but I think I’ve spent up my social hours for today,” he explained, setting the mug down on the coffee table.

“It’s been ten minutes at most,” Jade joked, short eyebrow quirking up.

“Wow, that’s five minutes too many…” Felix breathed out. “But seriously, thanks for this.”

“No problem!” Jade enthused, smiling widely before standing up to lead him back to the window. “Life is an endless spiral of chaos anyway so this was a fun addition to that.”

Felix’s smile turned wry as he opened up his exit. “Fair enough. See ya’, Jade Dragon.”

And with that, he slid out the window with all the grace of a dying goose and took off back into the night for approximately two hours before he almost passed out on a crooked walkway above the ocean and decided it was probably time to go home.

~

The next morning, he was appropriately tired but figured the night prior had at least been a net positive to his existence. The good news was that he was pretty sure things would work in his favor -- he’d set things up messily but hey, he’d still set them up. The bad news was that it was Monday and he already wanted to go home from the moment he left his house.

But he still had to go, very unfortunately, so when he arrived at the school doors with Flex stuffed away safely in his backpack, he got a bit of strategic whiplash when he was immediately grabbed and whisked away by a certain brunette.

“Brody? What the fuck!?” Felix yelled as his bes-- as his friend dragged him across the main quad to behind the gym. “My first period is on the opposite end of campus and I was already cutting it close!”

Brody huffed as they came to a stop, giving Felix a mildly annoyed look. “Yeah, you were. I had to wait forever for you to show up.”

_ “What’s going on?” _ Flex asked from his backpack, voice muffled.

Felix sighed and leaned against the wall behind him, gaining a series of faint threats in response.

“Doesn’t answer my question,” Felix rolled his eyes. “Why did you kidnap me?”

A door to the left of them opened up and Jett popped his head out, giving them a cool smile. “Took you long enough.”

“I know, right?” Brody quipped, once again taking Felix’s arm and dragging him through the door into a storage room as Jett began speaking again.

“We can stay here all day if we want to but I doubt you will,” Jett explained, still rather unhelpfully to Felix’s confusion. “Called in a favor with the track coach so we could honestly use this place all year if we wanted to.”

Felix rose an eyebrow at that as the pair sat together on miscellaneous sports equipment. “You’re a freshman, right? How do you even know who the track coach is, let alone have already done him a solid?”   
  


Jett gave Felix a surreptitious smirk. “I have my ways. I trust you guys, though, so just don’t tell anyone that he’s having an affair, got it?”

_ “Exploiting blackmail is a favor now?” _ Flex snarked from Felix’s bag.

Felix shrugged off his backpack and let it hit the ground with a thump before taking a seat himself. His scarf told him to watch himself tonight.

While he suppressed his own smirk, he went back to his own questions. “So, why do we need a secret lair?”

Brody’s eyes sparkled up and Felix used the brief warning of it to dodge backward from the phone that was shoved into his face.

As his eyes adjusted, he saw the poll Jade had posted. Before he could check the results, Brody pulled his phone away and shot Felix a wide grin.

“Big fucking news in the local superhero sector!” The energetic madman of a teenager exclaimed. “Scarfboy showed up at Jade Grant’s place last night!”

Felix scrunched up his nose at the name. “Wait, but wasn’t that poll…?”

Jett nodded along, less enthusiastically but still obviously excited. “Yeah. Dude asked for a name change. Can’t say I blame him but it  _ is _ a bit ridiculous.”

“Just a bit,” Felix agreed, knowing damn-well that it was the best move he’s made in a while. “So… has something won yet?”

Brody was bouncing in his seat at this point and Felix  _ really _ hoped it was a good sign.

“Yeah! It wasn’t the one I voted for… but it’s still pretty cool!” The teen babbled out, giving Felix his phone and allowing him to properly read the results this time. “Personally, I think Silver Savior would’ve been pretty cool cause it sounds pretty badass, but GLITCH has a special ring to it!”

“GLITCH, huh?” Felix murmured, mulling the sound of it over on his tongue. “I’m guessing it’s because of his tech powers? Why all capital letters?”

Jett rolled his eyes. “Honestly, I’m fine with the caps. Gives the name a different flavor from the other vigilantes. A unique name for a weird guy.”

Brody shot a small frown at Jett. “He’s not weird! Just… awkward? He seems really off-balance in the video but maybe that’s just stage-fright.”

Feigning ignorance, Felix blinked his eyes owlishly. “What video?”

The manic glee on both his friends’ faces told him it was time to retract. 

“Ne- Nevermind!” He stuttered out. “I’ll, uh, search it up later. Don’t think I want to hear Brody drooling over him the entire time.”

_ “Excuse me? Is that a thing?” _ Flex asked. 

Felix stomped his foot down on his backpack and snapped his fingers. “Oh! Wait a minute, where’s Miles?”

Jett scoffed. “Invited him. He told me to fuck off. You know how he is about the vigilantes -- he’ll avoid the conversation if he can.”

“Ash had to take a test, by the way,” Brody added in.

Felix frowned at the pair. “What if  _ I _ had a test?”

Jett smirked. “Good thing you don’t, then, isn’t it?”

Felix, despite his curiosity, sighed and said, “I don’t even want to know.”

“Anyway,” Brody interrupted, taking back control of the conversation. “There’s been a bit of pushback because some idiots can’t deal with change as a concept… but like, change when it's not their business… but anyway, most people already think it’s a good name for him. Most of the hassle will be changing over hashtags, honestly.”

Jett gave Brody a small smile. “You’re also probably gonna have to revise those puns you’ve been working on.”

Brody stayed frozen stiff for a moment before groaning loudly and shoving his head into Jett's shoulder. “Dammit! You’re right. All of them are completely irrelevant now!”

Before Felix could ask the pair if they had finally started dating yet -- because, wow, Brody was way more touchy-flirty now -- the brunette gasped. 

“Wait!” Brody exclaimed. “This is a good meme opportunity! What are some current ones? I need to do this right now so I can further establish my reign over the forums.”

As Jett started helping Brody write down ideas on his phone, Felix gave a small nudge to his backpack with his foot, silently asking his scarf a question.

A muted sigh came from his backpack.  _ “It’s a good name, kid. KeyMaster is gonna have your ass about it, though.” _

“Believe me,” Felix whispered under his breath, content his friends were too distracted to notice. “I know.”

~

The rest of the day went just about how Felix had expected. 

Around school and in all his classes, there were little whispers and rumors about the vigilantes floating around. His history teacher even mentioned it, excusing his excitement as “current local events” instead of the obvious “superhero fanboy.”

Lunch was… weird. While he’d noticed how close Brody and Jett were, he hadn’t yet considered that it could make him feel so left out. He wouldn’t wish it away if he could ‘cause he was, genuinely, happy that Brody was making more friends -- and hopefully more -- but still, Felix couldn’t help but feel the difference in closeness.

He didn’t know if it was the actual pang of loneliness that hurt most or the guilt he felt over feeling bad because of a good thing, in the end.

KeyMaster did, in fact, have quite a few jabs to poke him with when the four met up. Mostly about how insecure he could possibly be but past that, it was pretty tame. Or, maybe, he was just getting better at teasing her back.

Or, just maybe, he was starting to suspect she didn’t entirely mean it. You know,  _ maybe _ .

Either way, the nicest thing she’d said to him that night had been, “Complain to the internet all you want but we’re still gonna call you “Scarfy”.”

And honestly? He was okay with it.

Then Wednesday came around and he was very much  _ not _ okay.

Why? …Why else?

“Okay, nerds!” Brody announced, smiling broadly as he appeared, out of nowhere, and scaring the shit out of Felix, Miles, Jett, and Ash. Curiously enough, Felix could see that someone was right behind him, almost completely hidden by a height difference.

“So, with my favorite punks’ help,” the teen began, “I found some interesting information regarding current events. I honestly feel kinda stupid for not knowing before but I’d like to introduce all of you to my new favorite person -- don’t give me that look, Jett.”

Miles, right next to him, turned to give Felix a curious look about the sudden -- to him, presumably -- shift in dynamics but Felix disregarded it because Brody had moved aside and  _ oh god, he was so screwed _ ,  _ that’s-- _

“Jade Fucking Grant, everyone!” Brody proudly introduced. “I don’t know how we didn’t realize she went here before!”

Felix couldn’t believe he’d overlooked it, either. If he had known, he would’ve been a bit more careful about how he talked to her because  _ dammit _ he was awful at concealing his identity.

But there she was. And Felix was once again forced to come up with a thousand different plans in the span of a few seconds. All of them sucked.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice anything weird about him when she waved politely to the group and scanned them over. Her hair was down now and her outfit seemed a lot more planned, a button-up and light blue cardigan tucked into a black and white patterned skirt as opposed to comfort-wear. 

“Uh, hey,” she smiled at them. “Jade “Fucking” Grant at your service. Brody asked me to join him for lunch.”

Brody took a seat next to Jett and Felix just about died because Jade sat right next to him and wow he really wanted to beat his brains out right about now.

“So…” Ash drawled, fixing Jade with a curious look. “You just… you just followed Brody for no apparent reason.”

Felix heard the answer before she said it.

“I mean, why not?” There it is. “Plus, he’s kinda a legend on Watcher’s Watch. I’d be crazy  _ not _ to meet him, right?”

Miles shared a confused look with Felix before asking, “Wait, really? Puppy-boy over there?”

Jade nodded assuredly. “Yeah. If you’ve ever seen the name WarrenPeace being praised or, occasionally, criticized for making too many jokes, that’s Brody.”

_ Oh, God, my hunch was right. _

“Is that…” Ash started off curiously. “Is that a fucking Sky High reference? Brody, this isn’t the mid-2000’s anymore.”

Brody pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not defending myself. I saw the chance and I took it. Fight me.”

Jade laughed a little before turning to look at Felix. “Ah, so, what are your names?”

_ Act normal, act normal, for the love of all that is caffeinated, act normal. _

__ “Ah… Felix J. Cooper. Sophomore,” he forced out, wincing at how formal it sounded.

“Junior,” she responded back with a smile before looking over at Miles, who gave a grumpy introduction, and onto the others in turn. Felix himself was still caught on the fact that he wanted to cut his tongue out of his mouth and throw it off a building.

Felix only refocused from his mildly suicidal fantasies when Brody started talking again.

“Okay, I’m sure you’re sick of the questions…” he started off, “but I can’t help it! What’s Sca-- GLITCH like? He seemed kinda awkward--”

“Weird,” Jett cut in.

“--in the video but that’s only about a minute of talking,” Brody continued, shoving Jett lightly. “How long was he there? Did he talk to his himself? Damn near every report says he does.”

Jade frowned. “Huh. You know what, I think I broke him off from that self-talk the first time I met him but he didn’t do it at all when he visited me. Maybe he got self-conscious about it. You are right, though, he’s really awkward. I won’t spill all the details but I think he had a sexual experience with his coffee.”

Miles, the little shit, started coughing lightly. Felix pretended like he didn’t know he was being blatantly laughed at by someone who couldn’t even notice how big a crush Brody had on Jett.

Brody, meanwhile, turned a joking smile toward Felix. “Are all malnourished people obsessed with coffee?”

Felix, despite the existential terror that flooded his veins, managed to look relaxed as he rolled his eyes. “I’m not malnourished, Brody. I’ll have you know, I had one whole vegetable last night.”

Miles kept coughing and Felix now felt okay with it.

When Felix noticed Jade’s concern over Miles, however, he continued on to say. “Oh, don’t mind Blondie. He’s just a dork in emo clothing.”

He got a glare instead of a cough for that one. It still felt good.

“Ah… sure,” she replied, still obviously curious. “Hey, Felix, have we met before?”

_ Fuck _ .

Felix scrunched his eyebrows up and tried his best to look confused. “Um… no? Maybe we’ve seen each other around campus? Oh! Do you go to  _ Popchester’s _ a lot?”

“Pop-what?” 

“Ah… not that, then,” Felix fake-concluded. “Must just be school.”

She sighed softly. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I just could’ve sworn your voice was familiar. Who else do I know with a soft voice?”

Felix shrugged stiffly. “Probably a lot of people?”

Miles had stiffened up beside him as well and Felix prayed to his one true Lord and Savior -- the one and only Coffee Christ -- that the topic hadn’t been the last box to check to prove his suspicions true.

“Anyway,” Brody cut back in. “We have more important things to discuss. Namely, Jade, you’ve met the guy, but is he your favorite vigilante?”

Jade snorted. “Very important indeed. Um… well, kinda have to say so, yeah. If I didn’t have that connection, though, I’d have to say KeyMaster. She just seems so legit, you know?”

Felix exchanged a look with Miles, both of them pretending they only cared because of the incident at school, before quirking a smile.

“Yeah,” Felix agreed. “She does seem pretty cool. But, honestly, if GLITCH is as awkward as you say, who knows about the others? People are people, not idols. I get the feeling they’re all secretly massive dorks.”

Miles played into the banter, though Felix wished he hadn’t when the words that came out were, “Fair enough.”

Felix froze in place as he watched Jade for any recognition of the phrase but relaxed when her expression stayed calm. 

It was a common enough phrase, right?

“Mine’s probably either Sc-- GLITCH or Dark Gunner,” Jett added in. “Love me some weird but… still can't resist the edgy look.”

Jade quirked a brow at Jett while Miles hid a smile. "Obviously.”

“Magic Bat, all the way,” Ash spoke, pausing to take a bite of an apple before continuing with, “I mean, the pink hair, the long cloak, the whole vibe is just, like, my whole aesthetic.”

“I don’t really give a shit,” Miles said before coughing into his elbow.

_ He’s in a pretty good mood today, _ Felix thought to himself before he found the rest of the group looking at him curiously.

Knowing he'd never live it down no matter who he chose, he simply said, “The scarf. Hands-down, fight me on this, the scarf is the best of all of them.”

It was a suitable enough answer to gain laughter from the group and alleviate the tension from Felix’s shoulders. Even Miles let himself actually laugh a little, though Felix was sure he’d just been worn down enough, not that his answer had been spectacularly funny.

Still, though, it was nice. And as he turned a curious gaze back to Jade Grant, he decided three things. 

One: She was pretty fun to actually talk to after all this time.

Two: If she suspected him of being the newly-dubbed GLITCH, she was  _ very _ good at hiding it.

And Three: If he didn’t do anything to start deterring suspicions soon, he was a goner.


	19. [Bright Lights]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: MCR references

Felix had a game-plan for the next day. And, for once, he’d thought it out.

Jade Grant wasn’t an idiot. Neither was Miles Barrett. Like, okay, he may have already accidentally confirmed his identity to Miles by now but the blonde hadn’t so far confronted him about it so, if he knew, they were playing the “Who breaks first?” game. And Felix was nowhere near ready to be the first to spill.

He’d seen the idea in the superhero stories he’d read soon after moving to Newcoast, still looking for ideas on what to do with the silver, talking scarf. Instinctively, he’d always kinda known from the moment he found Flex that crime-fighting was the best option, but he’d wanted tips on how to go about it. And, still, he’d somehow neglected the most important part of dealing with a secret identity: Keeping your personas separate.

He reasoned with himself that it would be easy. All he had to do was keep his grins and theatrics isolated to his GLITCH persona. At school and with friends, he could pull back into his inner shyness and nerdiness and that would be that.

It sounded so simple. Which was why he was extremely disappointed when his lips had impulsively risen into a joking grin to greet Miles with when the other teen had entered the gym despite not asking for his opinion on whether or not it was a smart idea.

So what, right? Just a bad start. He could correct it, right?

Felix quickly found he could not correct it.

“Mornin’, Blondie,” he greeted once Miles was in earshot, immediately grimacing at having used a nickname when he’d listed that as his vigilante-self’s thing.

Miles saw none of his inner turmoil, apparently, and scowled deeply. “Yeah, yeah. Wish I was still asleep -- or, even better, in a coma -- but yeah.”

A coma sounded kinda nice right now, in Felix’s opinion.

“Not enough morning coffee?” Felix asked, keeping his tone as inquisitive as he could instead of his normal hyper-comical intonation.

It sounded weird but he brushed past it.

Miles’ frown deepened. “Not everything’s about-- Nevermind. Rough morning, I guess.”

_ How do I reply to that without a joke? _ Felix internally panicked.

“Ah, yeah, um, that’s… that’s not fun,” he stuttered out, wincing at how awkward it sounded. “Do you… wanna, uh, talk about it?”

Miles’ frown lessened as he turned a bewildered look onto Felix.

“Are  _ you _ okay?” He asked Felix, who currently wanted to up Miles’ coma suggestion to banging his head with a shovel a few times for his stumbling.

“Pshhh,” he waved the question, averting eye-contact. “Me? Okay? Yeah, of course I am.”

Miles’ lips quirked up. “You promise?”

“Uh… yeah?” Felix replied, still annoyed at how unsure he sounded.

Miles’ smirk dropped. “Okay. Now say it like you mean it.”

Before Felix could reply, he was cut off by the teacher starting class. He breathed a sigh of relief and gave a shrug to Miles to excuse himself from talking.

It wasn’t over, though.

Miles, in his usual fashion these days, was very watchful over Felix the entire period. Instead of a menacing suspicion and the brief worry that he was plotting to murder the brunette, however, Felix had the steady feeling he was trying to watch for any signs of emotional distress.

It was almost nice, if not for how it was the exact opposite of what Felix wanted the result to be.

Well, at least nobody could ever accuse Miles Barrett of being apathetic, whether it helped Felix or not -- the answer was “not” for the time being.

As for lunch… Well… Something, something, Brody, something, something, mess, something, something, as per usual, something, something, Felix’s insecurities. It’s really not worth describing anymore -- it’s always a trainwreck.

“Greetings, children!” Brody announced as he arrived, brandishing several small, square bags in his right hand. “It’s come to my attention that none of you ever eat during lunch so I got you cookies!”

He passed out the cookies to the group and Felix would’ve rolled his eyes about how this was an “aggressively friendly” attack on him if not for how he was already on thin ice.

So instead, he channeled the overwhelmingly positive energy of Magic Bat and gave Brody a genuine, warm smile while he thanked him.

Brody smiled back enough for Felix to deem the move a success.

“Big news about the gangs,” Jett commented as he took a bite of the gingersnap Brody had given him. “The, uh, news reported this morning that there was a shootout by Saltwater Park so I looked into it. Hellside Harbor took out some members of Bloody Bones. Surprisingly, Dark Gunner wasn’t involved so far as the police can tell..”

Somehow, Miles hadn’t caught the mention of his name. Or, maybe, he just didn’t care because he was still scrutinizing his cookie.

“You really gave me a  _ raisin _ cookie?” Miles asked, affronted. “What did I  _ do _ ?”

Brody shrugged. “I dunno. You seem like a raisin person?”

“Is that  _ not _ supposed to be an insult?” Ash laughed. “C’mon, Brody, you gave me a snickerdoodle. I’ve never even mentioned it was my favorite cookie. These are judges of our character, through and through.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “Please. If these were a statement, mine wouldn’t be a chocolate chip. Plus, Brody doesn’t have a deathwish -- he wouldn’t  _ willingly  _ antagonize Miles… right?”

There was a brief laugh from Jett’s direction before he leveled his amused gaze onto Felix. “You  _ are _ a total chocolate chip cookie, though.”

Felix frowned as the others nodded in agreement. “What does that even mean? Wait, are you calling me basic?”

Brody shrugged. “Eh, coffee, brown hair, pop-science. You’re the works.”

“Don’t you dare-- uh…” Felix trailed off, wincing at how easily he’d gone overboard. “I mean, uh, I’d prefer you not tarnish my name with-- no, wait… pop-science is bullsh-- still too much…”

“Felix,” Miles started. “What the honest fuck?”

Felix put on a face of pure innocence. “What do you mean, Bl-- Miles?”

_ Okay,  _ Felix considered inwardly.  _ Calling Miles by his real name in a non-serious manner. Weird. Very fucking weird. _

“In any case,” Felix interrupted Miles as he began to reply. “You should’ve at least given the chocolate chip cookie to someone with freckles or something.”

“Great,” Ash snorted. “Now he’s bragging about his perfect complexion.”

Felix frowned. “No, I… I mean, a bit, but--”

Everyone was still looking at him when he realized he could excuse all of it in a second. 

“Fine, fine…” he sighed, meekly shrugging. “I’m just not feeling good today. Anxiety plus lack of caffeine, ya’ know?”

Ash, at least, looked convinced enough. Jett  _ definitely _ didn’t believe him, which was actually pretty worrying due to how little Felix felt they knew each other, but didn’t seem to want to press the issue. Miles seemed a bit more convinced, probably because he’d seen Felix at his most anxious and stutter-y when they’d first met and the images probably matched up a little, but he definitely looked the most prone to call Felix out.

And Brody? Brody was looking at him with big, sad eyes that told Felix that his friend both knew he was lying and that he wouldn’t ask. Felix had gone back to half-truths and Brody could tell.

“It doesn’t matter, guys,” Brody said slowly, keeping his eyes locked with Felix’s for a moment before turning away. “I swear, this wasn’t supposed to judge you guys. How is it I can’t even give you  _ cookies _ without forcing Felix’s brain to implode? More importantly, and this is actually a good point Ash brought up that I’ve been meaning to ask: Felix, how the fuck do you  _ not _ have zits? You touch your face all the goddamn time so your skincare must be pretty good.”

_ I hate my life, _ Felix internally lamented before grasping at a reply. “Oh, uh, I guess it’s just genes? I don’t really think about it.”

“Wait,” Jett interrupted, staring at Felix intently. “That’s really just your skin? I could’ve sworn you were wearing foundation. Been meaning to ask where you get it. Mine keeps getting splotchy.”

Brody rolled his eyes. “Your make-up’s fine, Jett. You might wanna touch up the eyeliner soon, though. It’s starting to look as smudged as Miles’.”

“I’m not wearing eyeliner,” Miles interjected. “I can’t really afford that stuff anyway.”

“Plus,” Jett started adding in, “his uncle would totally--”

“Shut it, Jett,” Miles threatened.

Ash suddenly grabbed Miles’ face and inspected it. “Dude, what the actual shit? I thought you just had really good eyeshadow. Get some sleep.”

Miles broke free from Ash and sent Felix an imploring look.

Rolling his eyes, Felix swatted away Ash’s second attempt to grab Miles. “Sorry, Ashy. No more touching the angry blonde.”

Ash glared lightly. “Traitor.”

“Uh, fellow insomniac, actually,” Felix corrected hesitantly. “Leave us raccoons alone, okay? We’re trying our hardest.”

Ash suddenly brightened up. “Hey, you’re right! See, Felix’s face isn’t totally flawless -- he looks like he hasn’t slept in years!”

“Guess that’s fair enough,” Brody added in, causing Felix’s heart to stop and Miles to cough violently. “But if we’re getting into Felix’s flaws, it doesn’t stop at dark circles.”

Felix opened his mouth to reject the insult but once again felt his own restriction. What was he supposed to even say to that? 

He settled on the truth.

“Exactly,” he drawled out. “Complexion isn’t everything, guys. I got like, two hours of sleep last night, my grades are already pretty bad, and I can’t remember what I ate for dinner last night.”

A silence encompassed their group for a moment before a series of murmurs sprang up.

“Guess that explains some things…”

“Are you sure you even  _ ate _ dinner last night?”

“I'm still convinced you’re hiding some secret science miracle of skincare from us.”

Miles, instead of speaking, turned another skeptical look onto Felix. “You said you didn’t get enough caffeine, not that you barely slept.”

Felix winced. “Are they mutually exclusive?”

“No, just feel like the fact you barely slept would’ve explained why you’re acting so weird a lot better than lack of caffeine earlier,” Miles bit back, leveling his eyes at Felix in something close to his usual glare.

Felix shrunk back a little. “I-- sorry? It slipped my mind. And, I mean, come on, I’m not acting  _ that _ weird. I’m a bit tired, sure, but I’m still me.”

“Felix,” Jett cut in. “I barely know you and even I can tell you’re in a bad mood.”

“I’m not in a bad mood...” Felix protested weakly. 

“You sure?” Ash asked. “Cause you haven’t told a single bad joke all day.”

Felix leveled his own glare at his friends. “Okay, fine, I’m in a bad mood. Now, certainly, if I wasn’t already. So let’s do as friends should do and not press it further, okay? Can we all agree to do that for me? Just for today?”

While Ash and Jett muttered small apologies, Miles just looked away.

Brody, meanwhile, kept a steady eye on Felix. After a tense moment of what seemed to be contemplation, the teen heaved a sigh.

“Yeah… yeah, I can let it go,” Brody spoke, though it was barely louder than a whisper. “But if you need to… no, nevermind. Sorry.”

“Good,” Felix breathed out. “Then let’s cut that conversation off there, okay? The end.”

Before anyone else could confirm, Felix stood up. 

“I’m, uh, behind on homework. I might as well go work on it. See you guys later.”

He started walking away, briefly noting that he’d passed Jade walking toward the group as he went, ignoring the quizzical glance she sent him.

He’d planned on heading to the library so he could get some alone time before class started. Maybe pick up a book about the expanse of the universe -- for some reason, the topic calmed him down -- or just find a random corner to hide away in.

“Planned” as in he didn’t make it far -- really he’d only just gotten inside the main building -- before a certain blonde caught up with him and pulled him off to an empty classroom.

“It’s always a blonde…” he muttered as Miles spun him around to face him.

Miles, briefly, looked purely confused, before concern and determination crept back into his features.

“One more time, Felix, what’s wrong?” He asked, dark expression boring into Felix’s mind. “You’ve pulled this stunt before and I didn’t like it the first time either. You’re not running away and you’re not gonna avoid us this time, got it?”

“Miles--” Felix started off, ready to finally break his act and hide behind a shield of comedic deceit, but his friend was already moving the conversation onward.

“It’s obvious something’s bothering you,” Miles continued on. “I’ve never really liked how Brody just lets you get away with it but I held back. Now, on top of letting this shit slide, he’s suddenly giving you the cold shoulder. What the fuck is going on, Felix?”

“I… wait, Miles, it’s not like that, we just--”

“Felix,” Miles repeated, now surprisingly soft in tone. “Come on, I don’t bite.”

And, despite how inaccurate the phrase was, it was all it took for Felix to completely break down.

“I’m sorry,” he stuttered out, feeling a sudden tightness in his throat. “I don’t want to worry you guys… I… I just-- I…”

His eyes felt warm and he realized he was tearing up and that Miles, not having even tried to interrupt his stutters, had reached out to awkwardly squeeze his shoulder. He could only imagine what a mess he looked like to Miles.

Trying his best to keep his composure, he took a deep breath.

“Miles?”

“Yeah?”

“Who… I mean… I just… what do you think of me, Miles?” Felix asked, wiping at one of his eyes. “Am I really that different if I just stay serious? Is my only defining trait my humor? I’m a bit off for  _ one _ day and everyone treats it like the end of the world… I try to be  _ honest _ for one day and now you’re calling me out for lying… I try to hold back on troubling statements and more come out, I just… I guess I’m broken? I thought it’d be easier today.”

This time, it was Felix who cut Miles off as the blonde had begun to respond. “And that’s not even the main issue, I know, I know. But I just can’t… I can’t talk about it, okay? I can’t even say I don’t know how to because I  _ do _ but I just… don’t want to. I don’t want to trouble Brody with it and now he’s trying his hardest and it’s not working and it’s just too much and maybe all my ideas are dumb anyway but this shouldn’t have gone this bad but--”

Miles put a hand over his mouth, effectively shutting him up and pulling him out of his rambling.

“Okay,” Miles slowly drawled out. “Let’s slow down a bit. I feel like that snowballed a bit too fast. Let’s work through this together. First off, what do I think of you?”

Felix stiffened up, already dreading the answer.

“You’re fun, Felix. I guess that’s the easiest way to describe you. And before you take that the wrong way, I don’t mean funny. I mean fun. Like, even when you’re not over-the-top, you’re at least interesting to talk to,” Miles explained, speaking his words slowly and keeping a steadying grip on Felix’s arm. “And, well, you’re kind. You had no good reason to let me hang out with you and Brody. If anything, you should’ve wanted to avoid me. But you reached out and it’s not something many people do for me.”

Felix had never thought of himself as kind, truth be told. If anything, he thought it was way more likely he’d be perceived as a nuisance for his constant joking.

He tugged down Miles’ hand from his mouth. “So… I’m not annoying?”

Miles rolled his eyes. “I don’t waste time on people who annoy me, Shorty.”

Felix frowned lightly but let out a little chuckle nonetheless. “I’m not that short, Blondie.”

The smile on Miles’ lips lifted Felix’s spirits considerably, even if not completely.

“Moving on, it’s not that you’re not acting the way you normally do, okay? You seem uncomfortable. Mostly with yourself. You usually don’t trip over every word… okay, that’s a lie, but usually, you seem like you’re at least having fun, you know? You weren’t back there. It’s pretty obvious,” Miles paused for a moment as if planning what to say next. “I-- I’m sorry if I was a bit… rude about it but you were lying to my face and I didn’t appreciate it.”

Felix shook his head. “No… no, I deserved it.”

“I’ve been told very few people deserve my glare,” Miles rebutted. “I mean, it’s one of the things I don’t really agree with Jett on but, you know. Still.”

“It is surprisingly scary for how much of a dork you really are,” Felix agreed before biting down on his inner cheek to force down the jokes that threatened to bubble up, turning his gaze to his shoes.

Miles noticed. “There it is again. Holding back. Which leads me to your actual most worrying point: Do you really think you’re broken, Felix? Just because you can’t control your behavior?”

At this point, Felix hardly even remembered what he’d stuttered out or why he’d said he was broken but… yeah, he still thought it was an apt description.

Even if it wasn’t his own fault, he was broken. At least a little. Maybe Miles was right and it wasn’t supposed to be possible to change your personality. Maybe. But maybe the problem ran deeper. His whole childhood was a lie, he refuses to open up to his friends, and just the idea of someone considering him kind had thrown him for a loop.

His real problem was simple, in the end.

“I don’t know myself,” he realized, taking a step back and out of Miles’ grasp. “I… I never thought about it before but I guess I just don’t know myself that well. I barely know who I am.”

His eyes stayed locked on the floor even as Miles reentered his space.

When Miles put a hand on his forehead and made him face the blonde, he forced his eyes shut.

“That doesn't mean you’re broken, Felix,” Miles argued.

“Doesn’t it?”

“No, it doesn’t. You wanna know how I know?”

“How?”

“Open your eyes.”

Felix didn’t want to for so many reasons. He’d later blame how easily he followed the order on his lack of sleep.

Miles Barrett had wet, red eyes to match Felix’s own when he finally looked at the boy.

“I know,” Miles stressed, “that you, Felix J. Cooper, are not broken, because sometimes I feel like I don’t know myself either. And I’m a lot of things. I’m rude, antisocial, violent, and a bit of an asshole all things considered. But there are three things I’m not. I’m not a dick, especially to people who need some comfort, and I’m not broken. I could stand to be better, sure, but I could also be a lot worse.”

Felix was almost touched. He would’ve been if not for the suspicion of their shared origin. And, also, because he could’ve sworn he’d misheard.

“Wait, wait, wait. You said three but you only gave two examples,” Felix pointed out. “What’s the third?”

Miles smirked. “I’m not emo. I get the joke because, you know, I wear black, sure, but I don’t even listen to any actual emo bands.”

“ _ Actual _ emo bands?”

“Nobody can tell the difference between pop-punk and emo but that’s a whole different conversation and one Jett would kill me for having without him. More importantly, we have one more thing to get through unless you want to skip the rest of the day to talk things over.”

“Ah, yeah, no. I’d rather not fail,” Felix decided.

“Thought so. I'm not very… I’m not the logical type. I don’t really know how to fix any of your issues, Felix and, even if I did, I have no clue if you’d want me to. But I take no bullshit and I’m willing to listen. If you ever need to talk or just… just get your mind off of whatever’s bothering you, just text me. I’m not  _ that _ busy, I’ll be able to spare some time for you.”

Felix, despite all of his anxiety flaring up and yelling at him not to, shot Miles a goofy grin. “Oh, Blondie, I think I smell coffee in our future.”

Miles shot a wry smile back at him. “Guess we do.”

The bell rang and the pair knew the conversation was over for now but Felix couldn’t help but throw in one last comment.

“Speaking of coffee, I actually met another regular at Popchester’s recently. I’m sure we’d bore you with our science talk but she’s pretty cool. You’d probably get along.”

Miles paused mid-wiping at his eyes and crinkled up his nose. “I thought you were supposed to be a nerdy, introverted shut-in but somehow you keep introducing me to people. I feel betrayed.”

Felix’s smile fell a bit. “Yeah… I thought so too.”

He left Miles behind before the frown finished forming on the blonde’s face.

~

Miles had helped, all things considered. Two days later, Felix was still in a mild state of shock over just how much he’d opened up and had begun berating himself somewhat for being so careless regarding  _ what _ he shared.

Felix knew Miles wasn’t an idiot beforehand. He’d even seen a few moments of Miles’ concern before. But this? He’d never thought it possible that the guy with obvious anger issues and a chronic murder-boner was actually emotionally intelligent and introspective. He was pretty sure that wasn’t how things worked, but hey, apparently he’d only been in the real world for less than a year, so maybe he should just accept that some people are inherently contradictory. Felix himself felt like a walking contradiction, after all, so surely it wasn’t  _ that _ unique.

More than all of that, though, Felix felt even more afraid of what Miles was capable of figuring out. At this point, he couldn’t predict how a confrontation about the whole vigilanting thing would go and even though there was a chance everything could end up great, there was still a chance Miles would, say, never talk to him again, or maybe Dark Gunner would stop meeting up with the others, or maybe, worst of all, Miles would be too far under H.E.B.S. influence and react the way Felix had to Candor and Cara.

Felix couldn’t help but drown in the dread of the situation. So he decided to do something he  _ knew _ was a bad idea because it had been clearly explained to him already: He stuck with the plan to keep his personalities separate.

To his credit, he lasted a lot longer without being questioned this time.

Saturday nights were probably his favorite night to go vigilanting on.

For one thing, Magic Bat was always out and about earlier on Saturdays. Felix had to assume, if he had any classes, they had to be morning classes. And, since Juliana and Chester were basically gone for the entire latter half of Saturday and came home late enough they’d assume he was asleep, Felix was able to meet the warlock at an earlier hour nigh-consistently.

Second, though he would never admit it made him happy, Saturday was the day KeyMaster, without a doubt, had reserved for the group the last few weeks. Even if she was busy with her own crime-fighting or investigations or whatever she did every other night, she was there on Saturday to gift the group with cold coffee and the sweet taste of vaguely vengeful banter. 

And, of course, Miles had picked up on the pattern too. As such, Dark Gunner seemed to guarantee them at least an hour of his time on Saturdays and the night had officially become the most fun to shirk off responsibilities on.

He was going to at least  _ try _ to keep them that way.

So, when KeyMaster showed up at the Havenden belltower just past sunset and rose her brows at the sight of Magic Bat insisting he check to see if Felix’s forehead was too warm, the brunette just grinned up at the woman as though nothing was wrong.

“Key!” Batty paused to smile as well. “It’s good to see you! Now quick, help me hold down Scarfy’s arms!”

“...I don’t want to know,” KeyMaster decided after a moment of silence, deciding instead to sit down and open up her bag.

Felix brightened up at the motion, grabbing the warlock’s hand as it neared his face for the fourth time as his eyes locked on the bag. KeyMaster grabbed onto something and started pulling up and--

“What the hell is  _ that _ ?” Felix blurted out, gaping at the can KeyMaster had just pulled out.

KeyMaster sighed heavily. “I was in a rush, okay? Plus, shouldn’t you be happy? A coffee-energy drink mix is like, double the caffeine, right?”

She offered him a can and he poked it tentatively. “You sure it’s not going to, you know, poison me? It’s not even a brand-name. What are the ingredient facts?”

KeyMaster paused before setting the can down in front of Felix, turning her attention to Magic Bat, still trying to wrestle his hand out of Felix’s left one. “Is he serious?”

Their warlock pouted. “Why do you think I’m trying to check his temperature?”

Felix rolled his eyes privately before putting on a show of it, heaving a big sigh and waving a hand dismissively. “I’m sorry I’d rather check what I’m drinking before I put it in my body.”

_ “Tell that to the week-old coffee you drank yesterday,”  _ his scarf sighed defeatedly.

KeyMaster, to Felix’s credit, laughed. 

“Well, there’s a first time for everything, isn’t there? Does that mean you’re gonna start eating healthily, too?” She joked, any traces of concern fading.

“You have absolutely no proof I don’t eat healthily,” Felix pointed out, ignoring Flex’s crisp laughter ringing in his head.

“What did you have for breakfast?” Magic Bat asked, finally wrenching his hand free.

Felix froze. “That’s not important. Though, completely unrelatedly, leftover Chinese food pairs surprisingly well with coffee.”

“God, you’re a mess,” KeyMaster scoffed. Still, Felix caught the slight smile.

“That I am, that I am,” Felix confirmed before relenting and picking up the probably-poison.

The first sip was certainly... interesting. Somehow, his enjoyment of both drinks separate didn’t evenly translate into liking the combination on the first go and his face tightened up in displeasure.

While he was distracted, a hand landed on his forehead. Felix sighed in defeat.

KeyMaster, at least, seemed amused by it all. “Well?”

Their warlock groaned in frustration, finally removing himself from Felix’s personal space and settling down and grabbing a drink of his own. “If anything, he’s cold. Doesn’t mean he’s not sick or something but he definitely doesn’t have a fever.”

Felix swore he saw the exact moment when Magic Bat realized he took too big of a first sip, eyes widening before his face scrunched up in regret.

“Why does this taste like snake venom?” Magic Bat asked slowly. “Mixed with, like, plain tofu.” The pinkette paused after his words as a look of mild horror crossed his face. “Wait, but, still, uh, thank you for bringing it to us! It’s better than nothing, right, Scarfy?”

Felix grinned, repressing the aftertaste that threatened to give him a headache. “Totally! Thanks for the tofu-flavored-venom, Key-Club. Now that we’re nice and poisoned, the party can really get started!”

While KeyMaster was busy sighing at his antics, Magic Bat had begun lightly swatting at him, complaining that they should at least pretend to kinda like it.

A coughing fit from behind the trio alerted them that Dark Gunner had arrived.

“This week, I swear…” the blonde muttered as he sunk down to sit next to KeyMaster. Once the initial shock of his sudden appearance wore off, Felix forced a wide grin onto his face.

“Nice to see you too, Beanie-Baby. If you’re feeling down, Key’s brought us a new caffeine fix to try. You like energy drinks, right? You’ll love this stuff.”

Felix could feel Miles’ piercing glare through his glasses. “I heard the spiel, Scarfy. You can’t trick me.”

“Not trying to,” Felix defended himself. “Buddy, c’mon, you like energy drinks, I like coffee, maybe at least one of us will like this stuff. Let’s merge our worlds a bit.”

Dark Gunner stiffened up and, after a moment’s pause, looked over to Magic Bat.

“Is he sick?”

Magic Bat immediately straightened and waved at Felix vigorously. “I know right! He’s been weird all week! I thought he was just in a good mood because of the renaming thing at first but I’ve seen him happy and it’s not this!”

Felix frowned and shifted away from the warlock a little. “Wow. Cutting deep there.”

KeyMaster snapped her finger. “Wait, before we dive into Scarfy’s psyche--”

“Can we, uh, not?”

“We need to talk,” she finished, scoffing lightly. “It’s about the gangs.”

Felix immediately straightened up alongside the others before forcing himself to relax a bit.

_ Stay casual, stay casual, stay casual. _

“After the incident with Bloody Bones at Harborside,” Felix forced himself not to look at Miles as KeyMaster spoke, “well, the gang almost collapsed. The whole attack was proof of lack of coordination and now so many members are in custody… Point is, I’ve noticed Hellside Harbor pushing farther into the city these last few months and I don’t think they’re gonna let this chance to take more control slide.”

Dark Gunner nodded solemnly. “You’re right. It’s actually been getting difficult to deal with. I’ve been trying to keep them as contained as possible but… it’s not working. I’ve even started missing major gunfights between the gang members. That… that hasn’t happened in a long time but the conflict is all around the city. Leaving my turf is as useless as patrolling it.”

“I feel like if we had more information, we’d deal with it a lot better,” Magic Bat suggested. “I’m, uh, not too familiar with all the gang stuff so maybe you already know more than me but it’s kinda impossible to fight back against something you can’t even see.”

Alongside the painful similarity to how he felt dealing with H.E.B.S., Felix was suddenly struck by an idea.

“You know…” he drawled lazily, hoping his body language screamed “casual-crime-fighter” and not “completely-aware-he-has-no-clue-what-he’s-doing”, “in terms of infiltrating gangs, Beanie-Baby and I probably have the most experience.”

KeyMaster turned her head towards him. “How do you figure?”

Felix shrugged, trying to keep a grin on his face. “Well, besides the fact that it’s  _ his _ territory, I may or may not have been involved in the takedown of Crimson Coast a while back. It was this whole undercover stint. Went surprisingly well. With a bit of luck, I could probably manage it again. Granted, I’m not sure if my ally from back then would actually help me out again but I might as well try.”

There was a moment of silence as the other vigilantes seemed to mull it over in their minds. 

Magic Bat was the first to speak. “Yeah, no.”

Felix froze up for real. “What do you mean?”

KeyMaster sighed deeply. “I have to agree with Batty. You’re not going in alone. I’m still processing that you  _ did _ at one point. Christ, Scarfy, don’t you know  _ anything _ about self-preservation?”

Felix chuckled dryly. “A fair bit, actually. But people were dying and I didn’t have any allies. It was all I  _ could _ do… Actually, it was one of the first things I did as a vigilante.”

Dark Gunner’s brows furrowed. “You didn’t mention that before.”

Magic Bat turned a confused frown to the teen. “Wait, you  _ knew _ he did something  _ that _ dumb?”

_ “It  _ was _ pretty dumb,” _ Flex agreed as Dark Gunner glanced away from the group.

“Shut up, Flex,” Felix whispered as the blonde began to defend himself.

“He made it sound less dangerous back then.”

“I  _ think _ ,” KeyMaster interrupted, “that the point is  _ none _ of us can handle it on our own. We have to figure something out here. If the blonde emo can’t handle it solo, none of us can.”

Dark Gunner groaned as Felix let a small laugh out at his friends’ expense.

“Don’t think we’ll get anywhere tonight,” the gunman complained. “I hate to say it but we have a bigger issue than the gangs right now.”

Felix straightened up. There was no way Miles knew about H.E.B.S., right? 

“Key, would you like to do the honors?”

_ Wait, what? _

“My pleasure,” the vigilante replied, turning all her attention onto Felix. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Scarfy?”

Felix’s mind spluttered to a halt. “Um, excuse me? I don’t follow.”

“You’ve been acting kinda… weird, buddy,” Magic Bat chimed in. “We’re worried.”

“I would’ve bought you joking about having done something that stupid in the past but, instead, you suggested doing it again,” KeyMaster carried on. “Past that, you’re just… off. Nothing major, enough to almost convince me you were acting normal, but you’re not.”

“It seems forced, Scarfy,” Dark Gunner clarified. “You’re funny, sure--”

“Debatable but continue,” KeyMaster quickly interjected.

“But you usually find  _ yourself  _ funny, too. Or you just seem happy to make  _ us _ laugh,” the blonde continued on. “I wouldn’t have been able to spot it even a few weeks ago but, I don’t know, it’s obvious now.”

“So, Scarfy,” Magic Bat finished it off. “C’mon, tell us what’s wrong. I… I know we don’t  _ really _ know each other that well but… we’re worried. Even if these jerks seem angry, I promise, they’re really just worried.”

Felix, for his part of the discussion, had been stock-still. All things considered, he’d definitely known this confrontation was gonna come. Rather than that shocking him, it was the words that went alongside it all.

After another moment of stillness, Felix released his breath and started chuckling.

“You guys… you sure are something else. I-- I thought I was being really careful, too,” Felix breathed out between his laughter. “I’m sorry, I just… It’s really dumb.”

“Everything you  _ do _ is dumb. C’mon, we’re used to it,” KeyMaster insisted and Felix honestly couldn’t tell if she was being snarky or if she was genuinely trying to encourage him to open up.

He decided to take it as the latter.

“It’s… okay, so, um, do you guys, uh, struggle with keeping this whole thing a secret?” Felix asked quietly. “I… I’ve gotten kinda worried that some of my friends are a bit suspicious of me. And, well, that video Jade took… I act way too similar to how I actually act… so I thought it’d be smart to sort of differentiate my personality so they didn’t catch on.”

Dark Gunner chuckled sharply and tugged down the mask on his lower face and Felix sort of hated that he knew what the blonde’s smirk would look like before he even saw it. He also kind of loved it. “And how’s that working out?”

“Not well,” Felix admitted, taking another sip of the caffeinated monstrosity in his hands. “Guess I’m not as good of an actor as I thought. It always seems to work on baddies…”

Magic Bat’s laugh, as pleasant as it was to the ears, was still a bit mocking. “That’s because they don’t know you.  _ We _ do. And I’m sure your friends in your civilian life do, too.”

“Disregarding that,” KeyMaster broke in, “what’s even the  _ point _ of trying to act around  _ us _ ?”

Felix, once again, had to force himself not to look at Miles. “I… uh… well… I guess I just figured it should go both ways. So I could, um, get used to it, y’know?”

Despite her eyes being obscured behind those painfully-familiar white lenses, Felix could still feel her stare boring into him as she announced, “I stand by it. Everything you do really  _ is _ dumb. Scarfy, how-- do I really need to explain this?”

Felix shared a look of confusion with Magic Bat as KeyMaster pinched the bridge of her nose. “Um, explain what?”

KeyMaster stayed silent for a moment before bringing her hand up to her mask and tapping it. “These aren’t some kind of trap, okay? They don’t correspond to our real life in the slightest. I… don’t really have a choice about how I act in real life. I don’t want to get into it now but… real life…  _ that’s _ the trap. It’s taken me a while to figure it out but, with you three, I don’t need to feel constrained by my civilian life.”

Carefully, she shifted over toward him and, just when Felix thought she might do something nice like giving him a hug, a smirk took over her lips and she flicked him lightly on the forehead.

“These masks don’t force us into a new identity, Scarfy, they let us be ourselves in our purest form with no fear of judgment,” she continued. “We don’t want you to be trapped into another personality. Mostly because it’s annoying and off-putting but also because we like  _ you _ , not whoever you think your alter-ego is.”

Felix stared dumbly at the girl in front of him for a moment. If someone had told him just a few months ago that KeyMaster, of all people, would not only be willing to get so close to him physically but to… to say  _ that _ ,  _ any _ of that, that she would try to comfort him in  _ any  _ way that was related to emotions, he would’ve laughed his ass off.

But here they were. And he wasn’t laughing.

“Plus,” their warlock added in, “you know we’re not gonna try to out you or something. None of us mean harm, Scarfy. It’s not bad to be honest so long as we all respect one another.”

Okay, so now he was laughing a little, but that was completely unrelated.

Mostly, he was laughing because he’d realized something he should’ve picked up on long ago: Even on a level not fueled by the imminent threat of a secret, mind-controlling organization, or by the need to cooperate on their crime-fighting, or even by the loneliness he felt when he was alone, it had finally hit him that he  _ cared _ about these weirdos.

He genuinely cared about Magic Bat, the warlock of Havenden University who had been supportive from minute one, who was consistently sweet and nice to Felix in a way nobody else really was and who always had  _ something  _ to say to lighten his mood and who was just such a naturally good person that it still shocked Felix. 

He genuinely cared about KeyMaster, no matter his grievances with the key-wielding badass. Somehow, despite all the bickering and insults, she’d managed to make him feel less alone. Plus, her intelligence wasn’t exactly a negative point and her wit was damn-near endearing… Fuck it, it was super endearing.

And he genuinely cared about Dark Gunner. Even separating the gunman from what he knew about Miles in real life, he was sarcastic and surprisingly loyal and far more nice than Felix had ever expected from the guy. His little idiosyncrasies were all but etched in Felix’s mind and each and every one of them, when he really thought about it, fit with the guy perfectly.

He genuinely cared about these people. Fuck, he’d never even noticed he  _ knew _ these people and now that he had, they were absolutely blinding to him.

Miles was right. He always claimed to be an introverted loner but he’d made far more friends than he’d ever realized and now they shone so bright they blocked out the glittering city behind them. And, honestly, it scared him a little, because if he actually cared then the danger they were in was even more real. But, maybe, he could manage just this once. It’d be nice if his brain told him about the next time it decided to care, though. Having a heads-up is always convenient.

The three others were definitely confused by this point because he was still laughing and if he was crying a little it was definitely because he was running out of breath. Totally not because he was scared and confused and knew there was only one thing he could say next and he was really hoping it landed well.

He forced himself to calm down a little, trying his hardest to take deep breaths.

“Sorry, I--” a puff of laughter escaped, “I just… It was, I’m--”

“Breathe, Scarfy,” Magic Bat advised, patting his back lightly. “Breathe.”

It almost made him laugh even harder cause  _ of course  _ Batty immediately proved his point. Even so, he tried a bit harder to speak.

“I’m sorry, I just realized… well, um,” Felix paused, taking another deep breath, voice coming out small when he finally asked, “Are, uh… Are the four of us… friends? Like, really real friends?”

A pause stretched out between the group and then it was the other’s turn to laugh. Somehow, amongst the sharp k’s, light bubbles, and awkward breaths, Felix managed to hear Miles… no, he managed to hear Dark Gunner say, “You really are an idiot if you haven’t figured that out yet.”

Felix still waited with bated breath before the trio finally seemed to notice he was waiting for a full answer.

“Christ, Scarfy,  _ yes _ , of course, we’re friends,” KeyMaster scoffed. 

Magic Bat, as if to further prove KeyMaster’s point, lunged at Felix and hugged him.

_ Ah,  _ there’s _ my hug, _ Felix thought to himself. _ Candor was right, emotionally damaged teens really  _ do _ need these. _

When the pinkette pulled away, Felix looked over the bright lights that insisted on blinding him -- a college student, a stuck-up coffee-addict, and a not-emo -- and smiled as he thanked them.


	20. [Frankly, A Mess]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and hijinks ensue

As the start of October rolled around and September -- a month that had been ridiculously busy and exhausting --  _ finally _ ended, the internet started buzzing.

Felix, in the back of his mind, had kinda known people liked the holiday season but was somewhat lacking in knowledge pertaining to it. Belated in the realization that he had no real memories of the holidays, he was also quickly struck with the thought that, in just a few months, he’d have spent an entire year in Newcoast City.

Sure, it was still, like, three whole months away, but -- outside of September, apparently -- months passed  _ fast _ when you lived the life of a vigilante.

A vigilante who still hadn’t  _ begun _ to sort out his origin story.

Felix, honestly, felt like a bit of an idiot.

_ “You’re just now realizing this?” _ Flex snarked when Felix voiced his concern on the morning of the first Tuesday of the month.

Felix scrunched up his nose, still staring at his calendar in light bewilderment. “You could stand to be nice for a day, you know.”

_ “Where’s the fun in that?” _

Felix hummed to himself. “You do have a point… Hey, Flex?”

_ “What now?” _

Felix sighed and leaned back in his desk chair, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he slumped. “Going back to the fiction metaphor for a minute… what would a main character typically do in this sort of situation?”

_ “Ignoring that there’s no way you’re the main character--” _

__ “I’d place my bets on KeyMaster, yeah.”

_ “--I’d assume they’d, I don’t know, deal with it? Fight the evil, secret organization?” _

Felix groaned and threw his head back, damn-well knowing Flex couldn’t see his dramatics from beneath his pillow. “But that would require  _ effort _ !”

_ “This is exactly why you shouldn’t be a main character,” _ Flex asserted and Felix knew that if the scarf had a real mouth, he’d be smirking sadistically. 

Felix waved it off. “Yeah, I’m with you there. Almost wish I wasn’t the one with the responsibility of figuring this shit out.”

_ “We can always dump it all on KeyMaster?” _

“Tempting,” Felix conceded, “but not gonna happen. I mean, we should definitely get her in on it and if she wants to take over leadership I won’t complain, but we still have to be involved.”

_ “Damn.” _

“The discontent is very much mutual, buddy,” Felix assured his scarf, “but we gotta do this. I… I’m confident the other vigilantes have been at least somewhat fucked with by H.E.B.S… we really shouldn’t hold off much longer, huh?”

His scarf made a sound similar to a sigh.  _ “I hate it when you actually make sense. I can’t tease you when you make sense.” _

“Love your unrelenting support, Flex,” Felix snickered. “Okay, I have an idea, but I need a certain winged blonde’s info first.”

_ “You’re calling Candor?” _

Felix stood up and grabbed his phone before moving over to his bed, plugging in a pair of earbuds and placing one end close to Flex.

His hand hovered over the eagle emoji signifying Candor’s contact for a moment before he pressed down and listened to the ringing with mixed excitement and fear.

After a frankly stressful amount of rings, Candor picked up, sounding a bit out of breath.

“Felix?” Candor’s voice rang out.  “Is everything okay? You never call.”

Felix resisted the urge to chuckle at the blonde’s worry. “Everything’s fine,  _ Dad _ , just need some info. Hoping you’ve got it.”

Candor’s end was quiet for a moment.  “Ask away.”

Felix took a deep breath before diving in. “Okay, so I’ve been sorta… observing the other vigilantes recently. I’m pretty positive the origin of their abilities is H.E.B.S. and that they’re suffering from some sort of brainwashing like I was. I can’t tell how much of their memories are wiped but I know KeyMaster expressed a similar ingrained reluctance to figuring out her powers as I did. You’ve uh, been asking the other kids there about their memories, right? Find anything new out? Anything relating to other people, specifically.”

Candor sighed deeply.  “Uh, yeah, actually. I haven’t been able to find much in the way of official documents and even Cara’s having trouble sneaking around these days… but I noticed something weird when I was talking to Wilt the other day. He… well, he mentioned having met and talked with another teen named Casper. I had no clue who he was but Wilt acted like this guy was as normal to know as Harlow or Nora. It was actually really freaky. I asked how long he’d been here and… Wilt said for most of the year. I checked with the others about it and about half of them admitted to seeing the guy around and the rest were as confused as I was.”

Felix felt something cold well up within him. “Okay, yeah, that’s freaky. How, um… how possible do you think it is that this sort of thing could have happened before? H.E.B.S. keeping someone hidden?”

“Based on recent events? I’d bet my feathers on it.”

Felix frowned. “Weird phrasing but thanks. I was sorta at a loss when neither you or Cara recognized Miles but… if H.E.B.S. can really play with your memories of who’s even around you… this clears up any doubt.”

“...are you about to do something stupid, Felix?” Candor asked quietly.

Felix grinned. “Actually, I’m pretty sure this is the only smart thing I’ve done all year.”

“That doesn’t actually reassure me,” Candor admitted.

“Good. Stay on your toes, Candyland,” Felix advised. “And… well, you and Cara should probably get out of that place soon. Hopefully, I’ll have some friends to introduce you to by the end of the month if all goes well.”

Felix could almost feel the smile on Candor’s lips as the boy responded,  “Less worried. Okay, yeah, you’re probably right. Call me if anything happens, okay? Talk to you soon.”

“Later,  _ pops _ ,” Felix teased, just barely hearing Candor splutter in embarrassment before he ended the call.

Felix let out a breath and relaxed into his pillow, letting his thoughts formulate properly for once. Everything was messed up, sure, but Felix had a good feeling about his next move.

_ “So…” _ his scarf drawled slowly.  _ “You have a plan?” _

Felix smirked.

* * *

The plan was pretty simple, all things considered. His main priority right now was bringing his team -- Caffeine forbid they ever hear him refer to them like that -- up to speed with the situation. There were just a few problems:

**Problem One:** He didn’t  _ really _ have the time, social grace, or confidence to try to mention it to them as vigilantes.

**Solution:** He had to somehow meet up with all of them in their real, civilian lives.

**Problem Two:** The other vigilantes had, undoubtedly, shown a preference for keeping their identities a secret thus far. They weren’t just going to spill their identities to him.

**Solution:** Miles Barrett.

**Problem Three:** He couldn’t just up and tell Miles he was the scarf-clad vigilante the blonde runs around with in the middle of the night. After all, he had no clue how to explain how he knew Miles’ identity and, knowing him, he’d mess it up colossally. 

**Solution** : Ham it up -- his specialty -- and be super obvious about it until Miles confronts him so they can gang up on the other two.

Perfect. Or, well, as close to perfect as Felix was gonna get.

He already knew Miles could only take so much before his patience broke and he’d confront you about something. The fact that he hadn’t confronted Felix about being GLITCH yet -- he was still ridiculously relieved he’d gotten his name changed -- probably meant he wasn’t absolutely sure. But Felix knew the suspicion was there and, if he pushed it enough, the blonde was bound to break.

Was it manipulative? Fuck yeah, it was. Did it risk his other friends noticing something was up? Almost certainly. Was it still somehow the best plan he’d ever thought up? He’d like to think so.

The moment he saw Miles wander into the gym that morning, Felix turned it up to eleven as he greeted the blonde.

Miles rolled his eyes at Felix’s dramatics. “Mornin’, nerd. Shit sleep?”

Felix tilted his head and scratched his cheek lightly. “You could say that.”

Felix, briefly, wondered how green eyes could look so dark but, then again, this  _ was _ Miles Barrett. Felix was pretty sure the guy could make pastel pink look edgy if he felt like it.

“Uh… okay… You, um… You good?” The blonde asked, suspicion and concern mingling in his expression.

Felix let his alter-ego’s trademark grin take over his face. “Great, actually! Might have drunk a cup or two too much coffee but hey, not like I can live without it!”

God, Felix loved the confusion that overtook Miles’ face. 

The blonde coughed a little. Still, he was unable to hide his slight, bemused smile. 

“Whatever you say, Shorty,” he conceded with a shrug.

_ Okay, good start, _ Felix thought to himself.  _ But he accepted it too easily as “general Felix being weird”. Time to amp up his suspicion. _

Felix waited until their teacher was done talking and had ordered them to run laps before he made his next move.

“So… Blondie,” Felix drawled, their slow pace ridiculously easy to keep up in comparison to how fast Felix and Magic Bat tended to run. “I know you hate talking about the vigilantes but you seem to know a lot about them.”

Miles startled beside him. “What do you mean?”

Felix shrugged, giving Miles an easy smile. “I mean, you apparently heard that GLITCH named Magic Bat before  _ Brody _ did. I was just curious how you knew. I mean, you always stay out of the conversation otherwise.”

Miles locked eyes with Felix’s for a moment before turning away. “I, uh… I just came across it.”

Felix let his smile widen. “Oh, really? Can’t imagine how but hey, I believe you. It’s easier to believe than you  _ seeking out _ that knowledge, at least.”

There was silence between. Felix resisted laughing maniacally for the sake of the slow burn.

“So, uh… you remember the rumor Brody was talking about a while back?” Felix asked, lowering his volume.

Miles glanced at him inquisitively. “You realize all Brody talks about are theories, right?”

Felix nodded and, with a smile, said, “Fair enough...” 

The blonde made a sudden movement akin to flinching.

Felix grinned wider and continued on. “...but I meant the one about GLITCH and Magic Bat dating. You never did give your opinion on that one.”

A conflicted look crossed over Miles’ features. “I mean, I don’t really think they are?”

“Oh?” Felix asked. “Why?”

“Ash’s reasoning, mostly. Why would they have to meet up as vigilantes for dates? Like, they don’t really seem like they’d be the type to hide their identities if they started dating someone…”

Felix quickly turned around and began running backward, positioning himself right in front of Miles so he couldn’t hide his face. “You’re probably right on that one. Rumor is that Magic Bat is as genuine as they come so he probably wouldn’t like lying.”

“Yeah…” Miles murmured contemplatively before focusing his eyes back on Felix with narrowed eyes. “Wait, there are rumors like that about the vigilantes?”

Felix’s grin would’ve started aching if he weren’t so used to it by now. “I have my sources. People are pretty sure KeyMaster is as badass personality-wise as she is in a fight and that Dark Gunner is secretly a big dork.”

Miles’ eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

“Yup!” Felix confirmed. “A few shots of the vigilantes chilling show him eating sour gummy worms. Major consensus is that only dorks eat that type of snack. Hey, kinda like you!”

Okay, that might have been a bit too much for Miles’ embarrassment-meter instead of his suspicion-meter but, considering Miles now resembled a startled kitten, Felix decided the teasing was  _ well _ worth it. Plus, it created a pause long enough for Felix to decide on his next move.

“Hey, I’m a bit more energetic than usual today so I’m just gonna run ahead, okay?” He announced, watching Miles’ stunned expression morph into confusion with glee.

And, with that, Felix turned back and ran a hell of a lot faster than he ever did without the turtleneck. Usually, he’d care more about being careful in regards to his identity but today was something of a special occasion.

When he lapped Miles, the blonde’s face was back to shock.

* * *

Ah, lunch. The perpetual highlight of Felix’s school day as well as the most stressful event to navigate through on a normal day. But today, it was the perfect chance to do what Felix did best: Make people vaguely worried and mildly amused simultaneously.

He’d have to apologize to Brody for worrying him on purpose later. Maybe he’d bake cookies for him or something. It would have to be indirect.

Jade was there again, which was slightly more concerning regarding his decision to be obvious, but he decided not to really worry about her for now. Instead, he took advantage of her choosing to sit next to him and collapsed against her side the moment she sat down.

Miles pulled away from whatever discussion he was having with Jett and rose a brow. “Did you wear yourself out in P.E., after all?”

Felix snickered. “Had less energy than I thought I did!”

Brody pulled his eyes away from Jett and threw a concerned look at Felix before turning to Miles. “What did he do now?”

Miles rolled his eyes. “Felix, for some reason, decided to actually give a shit in P.E. today.”

Brody looked positively horrified. “Is he feverish?”

Felix laughed again. “Nope! Just in a good mood.”

“Since when does you being happy translate to being athletic?” Ash asked with a similarly large smile to Felix’s own.

“Hey, I’m allowed to do new things!” Felix protested, jumping on the segue Ash had unintentionally given him. “In fact, I’ve been thinking of changing up my style soon. It’s getting colder after all. You guys think I’d look good in a scarf?”

Miles almost choked on a gummy worm. 

Brody, being a genuine friend, took it seriously. “Hmm… A scarf would probably actually fit you pretty well. If you’re willing to use your cuteness to your advantage, that is.”

Felix rose an eyebrow, grin faltering a bit. “Since when am I cute?”

The entire group began laughing around him, leaving him even more confused.

Jett realized first. “Oh! Holy shit guys, he’s not joking.”

Ash shrugged. “If he doesn’t know, he can’t use it against us.”

“Good plan,” Brody commented. “Felix, forget the last 30 seconds, okay?”

Felix nodded along, not really knowing what his friends were talking about but wanting to get his plan back on track.

“Okay… so scarves are a yes? What about sweaters?” 

Miles, who had for once been openly laughing with the group, went from amused to stone-cold serious as he leveled his gaze at Felix. “What are your opinions on turtlenecks?”

Felix returned Miles’ semi-glare with a wide grin. “Think I’d just look like a vigilante copy-cat if I did that. Plus, I’m not into being choked.”

Miles stiffened up substantially. “Hey, Felix, I know I probably don’t look it but I’m probably your best bet for fashion advice out of this group. Unless you want to be punked-up, wrapped in flannel, or put in booty shorts, that is.”

Felix felt Jade giggle as she asked, “What about me?”

Miles smirked a bit. “You basically  _ are _ his current style, just with a skirt. Point is, if you need any help, I’m willing to lend a hand.”

Felix pretended to consider it before innocently asking, “Would you be free today?”

“Sure,” the blonde answered, immediately going back to his snack.

Felix smiled a little as he relaxed back into Jade. Turns out Miles was much more willing to talk than Felix thought he’d be. Hell, he didn’t even have to bring in the scarf puns and the mentions of a mysterious job. He ignored Brody asking Jett if he had any clue what just happened.

* * *

Before getting down to business, Felix requested to stop by  _ Popchester’s _ . Could he have made coffee at home? Absolutely. But, alongside the cafe being something of a second home, he knew he could throw in one last jab at Miles’ patience with a reminder that this was Felix’s favorite alongside his alter-ego’s. As expected, Miles seemed just a bit twitchy when they picked up their coffee. Felix only felt 22% guilty.

By the time the bus arrived at the stop nearest to Felix’s house, Miles was tapping his foot anxiously against the floor. By the time they’d walked to Felix’s street, Miles was tugging on his sleeves and taking deep breaths. By the time they were in front of Felix’s house, Miles was calm as can be, eyes steered toward Felix in a steady gaze.

The brunette felt like he’d lost the upper hand just a bit but readied himself nonetheless.

Felix knew Miles didn’t exactly pull punches or beat around the bush when he was set on confrontation but, upon reaching his room, Felix found he didn’t even have the chance to give a charade of discussing his wardrobe before he was pinned against the nearest wall.

Now, Felix had been pinned against a surprising amount of walls in his life. Leaving alone the event with Miles several days ago, crime-fighting didn’t exactly lend itself to safety and Felix was no stranger to a sticky situation. They usually involved knives but there had been a good few guns, too. In fact, he’d gotten pinned just last night and barely managed to get away.

Still, nothing in his entire life triggered his fight or flight response quite like the intensity of Miles’ glare inches from his face. Felix  _ definitely _ did not let out a fearful squeak.

“Let’s talk,” Miles started off. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

Felix tried his best to grin. “Oh? And what would that be, Blondie?”

If possible, Miles’ eyes darkened even further, immediately killing Felix’s smile.

“You know, I’ve felt something was off for a while now, but really, Felix…” Miles brought up a hand and smacked it lightly against the side of Felix’s head. “How dumb can you get?”

Felix frowned, sort of knowing where this was going but still somewhat unsure. “Excuse me?”

Miles’ eye twitched as he snapped, “Don’t bullshit me, Felix, you know what I’m talking about. You’ve been suspicious for a while now but today you crossed the line into dangerously obvious.”

Vaguely, Felix registered his scarf’s voice from beneath his pillow ring out,  _ “Kid, what on Earth did you  _ do  _ today?” _

Felix ignored it for the time being, instead tilting his head innocently for Miles. “Still drawing a blank. Care to elaborate?”

Miles rolled his eyes, making his scariness fade by a fraction. “The vigilante talk, the vague comments-- Felix, you said you could use a  _ scarf _ in your wardrobe. It’s like you're trying to get caught. And, before you try to argue…”

Whatever Felix had been expecting, it hadn’t been a hand up his shirt. 

Before he could protest, though, he realized what Miles was getting at: There was a bandage over a knife wound he’d received the night before that had been too deep to heal overnight, even for his healing factor. He’d been planning on checking it after Miles had gone home.

And Miles had found it almost immediately.

More shocking than the hand up his shirt was the realization that Dark Gunner had apparently been nearby last night when Felix had got injured. He’d probably had his gun aimed at the attacker, ready to shoot if things went too south. It was both sweet and overwhelmingly disturbing.

Felix sighed as Miles tugged up the hem of his shirt, showing off the wound.

“Then would you mind explaining this, Shorty?” Miles asked, voice softening by a degree Felix wouldn’t have been able to recognize a month ago.

Felix choked on his own words. “Ah, well, uh, you-- you see, that was a completely explainable… dog bite?”

Miles screwed his eyes shut in annoyance. “If that were true, Felix, I’d tell you to go to the hospital. But it’s not true, is it?”

_ God, could he just come out and say it already? _ Felix complained inwardly.  _ Or do I really have to do everything myself? _

__ Felix resigned himself to his fate, giving Miles an embarrassed smile. “Fine, fine, you caught me. I’m--”

“Scarfboy,” Miles interjected, intensity slowly morphing into a teasing expression.

“Hey, hey, it’s GLITCH now, remember?” Felix snarked, crossing his arms in a huff. “Seriously, if you’re gonna force it out of me, you can at least be polite about it.”

Something lit up in Miles’ eyes that Felix could only diagnose as recognition, though he had no clue what Miles was recognizing about this situation.

But then Miles let a goofy smile overtake his face and Felix didn’t really care about anything else 'cause  _ holy shit, it isn’t every day Miles Barrett smiles like that _ .

And when Miles started laughing, Felix both felt relieved because  _ okay good he doesn’t hate me _ and slightly irritated because he was starting to get a little cold.

“Hey, Miles? You can let go of my shirt now,” Felix suggested.

Miles, to his credit, looked confused for a good second before realizing what Felix was talking about and jolting backward. “Ah, right, sorry.”

Felix chuckled as he removed himself from the wall and made his way over to his bed, tuning back into what his scarf had been saying.

_ “Kid, I hope you know this is the best soap opera I’ve ever watched,” _ his scarf joked.

Felix rolled his eyes as he plopped down on his mattress. “Unless you’ve been watching on your own, I don’t exactly think that’s much of an appraisal.”

Upon seeing the confused look on Miles’ face, Felix gave a deep sigh and tugged Flex out of his hiding place beneath his pillow, showing it off with a dramatic twirl.

Miles kept staring.

Felix rose a brow. “What? You cornered me but you’re still surprised by the evidence?’

The blonde hesitantly made his way over and dropped to get a close look. 

“Well, uh, I didn’t really expect you to keep it under your pillow of all places,” he admitted, reaching out a finger to poke at the fabric.

The scarf squirmed a bit, startling Miles and protesting audibly.

Felix ignored the complaints, watching in amusement as Miles seemingly considered trying again before straightening back up and giving Felix a pointed look.

“So...” the blonde drawled as he crossed his arms, “whatever happened to you promising you weren’t in any danger?”

Felix froze, giving an awkward laugh. “Ah, well, you see… you  _ are  _ technically the first I told?”

Miles sighed heavily. “That’s not the point, Felix.”

Felix hummed noncommittally. “You never set a time limit…”

Miles was quiet for a moment before asking, “So, you haven’t told Brody?”

A sensation akin to being slashed in the stomach flooded through Felix at the question. Or maybe he just needed more painkillers.

Hanging his head, Felix admitted, “No. No, I haven’t. That’s um, why we’ve been sorta weird lately. He knows I’m hiding something but I just… I can’t tell him. There’s way too much. It’s… it’s a lot worse than you think, Miles. God, things are really bad and I really need to--”

Felix was silenced by the sound of the front door opening. In the seconds between processing the sound and reacting, all he could think about was the possibility that Juliana and Chester were actually in the know about H.E.B.S. and could possibly recognize Miles and then maybe that could lead back to Candor and Cara and they’d get in trouble or brainwashed again and the only solution was that he had to get Miles  _ out _ .

“Shit!” He whispered harshly, shooting up to his feet and ushering Miles over to the window. “No time to explain but you need to go  _ right now _ !”

Miles didn’t react for a few seconds. “What, what? What’s wrong?”   
  


Felix held a finger in front of his lips. “Quiet! You need to go.”

With that, he opened his window and shoved Miles’ head out of it.

“Fine! Fine!” The blonde relented, sending Felix one last look of pure bewilderment as he let himself out through the window.

Felix, in turn, grinned, firmly shut the window, and plopped down on his bed with an emotionally exhausted flourish.

It was only as he was shoving his scarf back under his pillow, mindful of the footsteps in the house now approaching, that he froze.

“Hey, Flex?” 

_ “Yeah, kid?” _

“Did… did Miles mention that he was Dark Gunner?”

There was a pause.

_ “...No, I do not recall him doing so.” _

Felix pinched the bridge of his nose. “Was… was it  _ implied _ ?”

_ “Not that I can tell.” _

When Chester knocked on and opened Felix’s door less than 10 seconds later, he was startled but not necessarily surprised to find Felix lightly banging his head into his wall over and over, mumbling something about dumb blondes and barely registering his presence before coming to a sudden halt and claiming Chester hadn’t seen anything.

* * *

It was official.

Felix hated Miles Barrett.

Well, okay, he didn’t  _ hate  _ him -- Felix was genuinely surprised to find he didn’t really know what hate felt like -- but he was incredibly annoyed and felt he had every damn right to be.

His superhero comics hadn’t prepared him for this. What type of person outed their friend as a vigilante without outing themselves in the process? That was Felix’s whole plan for fuck's sake.

The whole situation had, momentarily, made Felix question his own confidence that Miles  _ was _ even Dark Gunner but the anxiety hadn’t lasted long. Even if his original conviction through Miles’ laugh had been sorta weak and questionable,  _ way _ too much lined up for it all to be a misunderstanding.

Miles was Dark Gunner and Felix currently wanted to strangle the scariest dork he’d ever met.

The blonde, for his part, had kept remarkably normal over the course of the week. He gave nothing away to their friends and acted like he’d never discovered anything. He did still send Felix looks but they were far less suspicious and far more “how-was-I-ever-fooled-by-you?” vibed.

The real annoyance, though, was when they were out as vigilantes.

Miles was still obviously trying to keep his identity a secret but that will didn’t always bleed into his actions. Any fights they were involved in had Dark Gunner getting  _ much _ more involved than he been in any of the months prior.

Honestly, Felix didn’t even know the guy carried anything but bullets and snacks on him so the first time the gunman whipped out a boxcutter and threw it right into a hand that had been about to strike Felix, the scarf-clad vigilante had to check whether or not he was dreaming.

It was almost cute, how much more Miles was obviously concerned with his safety now that he knew his identity. “Almost” because it was incredibly irritating and was it grating on Felix’s every last nerve that he’d fucked up  _ this _ badly in his plan.

So, all that considered, Felix knew it was time for another plan.

And thus he invited Miles out for coffee to meet his new friend.

While considering his options, it had struck Felix that Brenna and Miles were actually kinda similar: They were both somewhat confrontational, rude, and strong-willed. It was the perfect combination to exact a little revenge on Miles.

Yes, he was hoping a fight broke out. He was allowed to be a little petty with the week he’d had.

It was actually Brenna who was hardest to convince to show up: She was more-or-less down with just Felix but the knowledge of another person being invited seemed to throw her off.

She eventually agreed but was adamant that she’d need to leave by 4 pm. Felix said it was fine.

Finally, Saturday rolled around and Felix arrived at  _ Popchester’s _ alongside Miles, having met the blonde on the way over. He took a deep breath, forced himself to be confident about all of this, and ushered Miles in.

Felix wasn’t surprised to see Brenna was already sat in her usual spot by the window given that she really gave off a proper, punctual vibe. Hopefully, it’d clash with Miles’ rough, violent vibe.

“Brenna!” He called out gleefully once he entered the cafe, all but dragging Miles along by his arm as the blonde grumbled about social anxiety.

The girl in question glanced up from her book -- Felix somewhat recognized it from Juliana’s collection -- and gave a nod in greeting, arctic blue eyes immediately panning over to Miles.

“Felix,” she replied, inclining her head slightly to Miles, “And, ah… Felix didn’t actually mention your name.”

Miles gave a light cough. “Figures. He’s a bit flighty--”

“Hey!”

“Name’s Miles Barrett,” the blonde introduced himself, taking the initiative to join Brenna at the table, Felix following suit quickly afterward.

“Brenna, as I presume you heard just now,” the girl replied, turning her gaze back over to Felix. “By the way, Ross isn’t here today. Or, at least, not right now.”

Felix sighed and sunk his head a little. “Should’ve guessed -- he’s usually on me the moment I open the door… God, that means I actually have to think about my order…”   
  


Brenna rose an eyebrow while Miles let out an actual soft chuckle.

“Apparently,” Miles began explaining, “Ross can read Felix’s emotions well enough to get him the perfect coffee based on them.”

Brenna’s eyes lit up. “Is that why he tried guessing my mood the other day? He failed so I just assumed it was his first try. Then again, maybe Felix is just easy?”

Felix cut the conversation off before it could go any further into the “tease Felix” zone. “Yeah yeah, Ross holds the key to my heart in his coffee grinder, whatever. I’m gonna go order us some drinks. What do you guys want?”

Brenna frowned. “You’re not planning on paying, are you?”

Felix shrugged. “I can?”

Honestly, he didn’t care either way but had been hoping leaving Miles and Brenna alone for a minute would, perhaps, rack up some awkward silence.

Brenna huffed lightly and stood up. “I can handle paying for both of you, believe me. Miles, what do you want?”

Miles froze for a moment. “Uhh… just a latte, I guess.”

Brenna nodded and gestured at Felix to follow her up to the counter.

And, while Felix was busy questioning what type of teenager had a  _ credit card _ and what sort of parents were down to approve that, their drinks were made.

Miles gave a small thanks to Brenna and turned a questioning eye to Felix’s flustered look. Felix waved him off.

“So, uh, Brenna,” Felix started off. “Mind if I ask how old you are?”

“Sixteen,” she replied smoothly. “You guys?”

“Fifteen this last February,” Felix answered.

“Fourteen,” Miles added in.

Brenna frowned at the blonde. “Really? You seem… older.”

Felix nodded. “Oh yeah, he does that. I’m half convinced he’s secretly, like, 30.”

Given the situation, it actually would’ve been comforting.

“Haha,” Miles snapped. “I wish.”

“Don’t,” Brenna advised. “Most adults are idiots anyway.”

Felix smirked. “Huh. Never thought you’d have a problem with authority.”

Miles rolled his eyes. “It’s a dumb move to  _ not _ question authority, Felix.”

_ Wait… _ Felix realized.  _ They agree on something. Shit, are they actually gonna get along? _

Felix decided it was time to step things up a notch.

“So…” he drawled, grasping at the straw that made up the socially-oriented part of his brain. “Brenna, do you count the vigilantes as authorities? Miles doesn’t really like them too much.”

Miles looked shocked by the statement and opened his mouth before slamming it closed again.

Brenna’s eyes narrowed. “Oh? You don’t?”

The blonde, for the first time Felix had ever seen, refused to match someone’s gaze. “I’ve, uh, softened to them recently but I do, uh… have issues with a few of them.”

“Such as?”

Miles screwed his eyes shut. “Like… like, Dark Gunner. I grew up on the West Side and we’re not exactly fans of him over there. He’s not a hero in his home turf, he scares the shit out of everyone. Nobody knows where he draws the line.”

It was a good point, Felix knew, and it was actually pretty hard to tell who Dark Gunner would kill and who he wouldn’t due to how inconsistent his behavior was. But still, it was really unsettling to hear Miles diss himself like that.

Still a confusion Felix had to solve. God, he hated having responsibilities.

Brenna was silent for a moment. “Despite that, you can’t deny the vigilantes as a whole are being helpful. Not that I agree with murder but to say they’re even an overall negative force is just ignorant of what’s going on in this city. The West Side’s vigilante plays by the rules of the West Side, meaning he probably even saves lives by taking them. People over there shouldn’t be any more scared than they already were.”

“That’s… a good point,” Felix agreed. “People in the gangs were dying anyway. This way, it’s less likely innocent people will get caught up in it too.”

Miles twitched. “Felix, you were at school with me when Bloody Bones tried to draw out Dark Gunner. That wouldn’t have happened without him.”

_ Wow _ , Felix thought to himself.  _ Gonna have to keep an eye on that. It’s either the best defense against figuring out his identity to ever exist or a disturbing amount of self-loathing. _

Brenna gave the blonde a cold smirk. “But Dark Gunner wasn’t the one who held up an entire school, was he? He may be in the chain of events but the decision to use children as bait wasn’t his in the slightest so I don’t think we can say it wouldn’t have happened without him. That time, yes, but who knows? If they’re so dysfunctional losing their leader sends them into that much chaos, it could’ve happened with any other situation.”

Felix felt just a little warm inside hearing her defend the vigilantes’ role in the incident, it having weighed down on him for a while now and nudged Miles. “Sorry, buddy, I’m with her. Plus, vigilantes are just cool in general.”

Miles shot him an exasperated look.

Brenna shrugged. “Eh, don’t know about that. At the very least, Sc-- GLITCH and Dark Gunner seem like total dorks, not cool.”

While Felix began laughing his ass off, Miles shot him a confused look. 

“Did you--” the blonde began, only to be cut off by more of Felix’s laughing.

“Nope!” Felix defended himself breathlessly. “Not-- ha! Not at all! Told you it was a common opinion!”

Miles sulked while Brenna frowned. 

“What are… nevermind,” she decided, cutting herself off and taking a long sip of her iced coffee. “I’m getting the feeling that, when it comes to you two, I don’t really want to know.”

“Don’t lump me in with him,” Miles grumbled.

Felix, still beside himself with laughter, tried to drink his coffee to calm down, relishing in the warm embrace of the caffeinated liquid. “Not-- Not fair, Blondie. You’re nearly as bad as I am.”

“Anyway, Brenna” Miles redirected, “Felix didn’t tell me much about you other than that you like science?”

Brenna nodded, stirring her coffee idly as she considered the blonde’s question. “Yeah, seems like that’d be his first priority--” Felix ignored the amused look shot his way, “--but I can’t blame him. Generally, it’s more fun to talk about theoretical issues than practical ones, I guess.”

Felix frowned, considering her tone for a moment. “You... don’t like theoretical talk? That’s literally all I’ve been pestering you with.”

Brenna smirked at him. “And I’ve answered accordingly because I’m flexible to more than one style of thought. But, anyway, yeah. I prefer dealing with more prevalent, immediate logical issues than completely theoretical ones.”

A small smile formed its way onto Miles’ face and Felix shuddered as the blonde began to speak. “So, you’d prefer calculating the probability of Felix making a fool of himself in the next ten minutes?”

“Precisely.”

_ Oh no, _ Felix froze, finally realizing the direction the conversation had turned in.  _ This was a mistake. I miscalculated big time. They’re gonna bond over making fun of me like everyone else does. I can’t punish Miles like this! _

He tried to come up with a way to salvage the tension but quickly found all remnants of it had slipped away from him.

“Hey, is he zoning out?”

“He does that. Give him a minute, he’ll pretend he was listening all along.”

“Huh. Interesting.”

“At least he doesn’t look like he’s about to cry.”

“Common occurrence?”

Felix cut back in. “Yeah, yeah, make fun of me for my emotional fragility. Very funny, guys.”

Miles shot a look at Brenna. “Told you so.”

Felix leaned back in his seat and took a deep gulp of his coffee, resigning himself to actually having a fun conversation. Vaguely, he realized his gaze had found its way to Brenna’s necklace. Or, at least, the chain of it. The rest was tucked under her shirt.

Deciding it was probably better not to ask if she was hiding it, Felix redirected his attention to her headband with a nod to draw her attention. “Hey, Bren, how many of those do you have, anyway? Last time I saw you, it was blue, now it’s purple.”

Brenna looked bewildered for a moment before realization flashed on her face. “Oh. They annoy my mother so I have maybe 20 of them.”

Miles gave her a crooked smile. “Pissing off adults. I approve.”

Brenna rolled her eyes. “I’d never guess, what, with the eyeshadow and all.”

Felix burst out laughing again while the smile fell off Miles’ face.

“It’s… I don’t really have the money to buy make-up,” the blonde explained, ignoring Felix’s snickers and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Brenna frowned. “Oh. Uh… get some sleep?”

Miles shot Felix a glare. “I'm not the one who needs that advice the most.”

Felix stopped laughing.  _ Hypocrite _ .

“Hey, at least my dark circles make me more endearing, not scarier,” Felix protested, gesturing at Miles with his coffee cup. “At least, if Ross is right.”

As Miles coughed, even Brenna seemed somewhat amused. Felix counted that as a major win.

* * *

Unfortunately, though, time comes for us all, especially in regards to coffee dates and, before he knew it -- three coffee orders in -- Brenna was checking her phone and cursing.

“Sorry, I really need to get going,” she explained, quickly gathering up her things. “It was… uh… nice? Yeah, it was nice meeting you, Miles.”

Miles gave her a thumbs-up as she proceeded to rush out the door.

Felix snickered to himself and turned the page in the book he’d been half-reading for a while now, taking a long draw of his coffee to avoid saying anything.

Miles turned back to Felix. “She seems… cool.”

Felix grinned widely. “My thoughts exactly.”

Then Miles frowned at him and Felix’s smile disappeared. “Uh, what?”

The blonde sighed. “Isn’t that book Brenna’s?”

Felix froze and glanced back down at what he’d been reading. “Shit, yeah, it is. Forgot I didn’t bring anything like I do when I’m alone.”

He considered his options for a moment before standing up. “I’ll be right back. She can’t have gone far. Wait here, okay?”

Another thumbs-up was thrown his way.

Exiting  _ Popchester’s _ , Felix quickly scanned the street and noticed Brenna nearly two blocks away, taking off running after her.

As he ran, he tried yelling to get her attention but she either couldn’t hear him over the sound of the passing cars or attributed his voice to background noise.

He’d almost caught up with her when she turned and he barely had time to process that she’d turned into an alleyway before he followed. Just as he was about to call out her name again, he froze in place, struck stiff by the sight before him.

Now, Felix knew he wasn't the luckiest of people and he honestly couldn’t tell if what he was seeing was a good thing or a bad thing. Life really wasn’t ever that simple for him these days. However, what he knew at this moment was that his luck, good or bad, was really just  _ wild _ .

Because, before him was Brenna, holding up the necklace that had been hidden earlier as it grew, white spreading from her right hand that was holding it over to her left, surrounding her body and hiding her clothes in a depressingly familiar silver, her hair instantly being whipped up into a ponytail and her black bag from earlier being replaced by one strapped to the belt at her waist.

And, really, Felix was sort-of aware of the phrase “It’s a small world” but this really seemed more like a “fuck you” from the universe.

Because, suddenly, he realized he’d never heard Brenna laugh and apparently he had no way of figuring out who other vigilantes were without them laughing.

God, the signs had been there from the start. The iced coffee, the hairband, her cold gaze, her intelligence -- for the love of caffeine, she’d said she wasn’t good with friendships and if that wasn’t the most quintessentially KeyMaster thing he’d ever heard, he didn’t know what was. 

Somewhere along the line, he let out a startled squeak. 

KeyMaster spun around, staring at him with an equal level of shock to what he felt.

Felix absentmindedly raised up the book she’d left in lieu of actually explaining his presence, not sure he’d actually be able to form a full sentence yet.

“Felix!” KeyMaster yelped, raising up her hands defensively. “Um, uh, okay, listen, you can’t tell anyone about this, okay? Please, you gotta promise.”

Still wanting to rip his eyes out to check that they were working properly, Felix nodded.

KeyMaster sighed, posture immediately relaxing and walking over to retrieve her book, sliding it into her famous coffee-holding bag. “Good, good. Thanks. Oh, and, I wasn’t able to tell you this as a civilian but I’m really glad you and Miles are okay. You guys really freaked me out when you both disappeared back when your school was being attacked.”

Felix nodded again, suddenly struck with the urge to not waste this chance.

“Thanks but there’s something I need to tell you--”

KeyMaster cut him off. “I’m sorry, Felix, I promise I’ll explain what I can later but I’m really in a hurry right now. Got some business to do. But I really need to go.”

Felix panicked as she pulled away. “No, you don’t understand, I’m--”

And she was gone, vaulting up and out of the alleyway with ease.

“--Scarfy…” Felix finished, staring at the place she’d been not a moment before.

Only a few thoughts made their way through his head.

  1. Flex wasn’t going to _believe_ him.



  1. This was the worst week of his life, if not one of the most productive.



And…

  1. Fuck… KeyMaster was only sixteen.




	21. [Of Manipulation and Magnanimity]

Over the next week, Felix had a lot to mull over.

The first thought that sprung up was that, really, how on Earth could he have been expected to figure out Brenna was KeyMaster when he hadn’t heard the girl laugh? Yes, that was his excuse, and also a skill he’d discovered he’d developed that was probably only useful in situations regarding hidden identities and jokes. Niche but it had worked in the past.

The second thought was a continuation of the realization that KeyMaster was only seventeen, namely:  _ Oh, fuck, does that make Magic Bat the oldest out of all of us? _ It was kinda sad, all things considered.

The third thought was:  _ Why am I like this? _

He had no real answer to that last one but he could clearly see the results of it all around him.

Truly, the past week had been utterly ridiculous. After his initial attempt to explain himself to Brenna, he’d found himself in a nightmare in which she was completely oblivious to the fact he was another vigilante and more than capable of A) Taking care of himself and B) Knowing she wasn’t as cool as she tried to show off.

Granted, she was still cool, but Felix knew KeyMaster was also kind of a softie deep,  _ deep _ down so nothing she did would ever erase that knowledge.

However, he could hardly ever find her cool when she was directly impeding his ability to work through all the bullshit life had recently thrown at him.

First of all, he once again found himself wary of maintaining his secret identity when out patrolling with her, something she had  _ definitely _ noticed and had been giving him slight glares for all week. Miles had noticed too, because of  _ course _ he did, and kept his eyes trained on him both on patrol and at school.

Secondly, he quickly discovered that she, too, had been infected by whatever plague he carried that made others worry about him so much. In a way, the fact she was trying to make contact with him a lot more was actually kinda nice -- she was a lot more open with Felix than she was with GLITCH, after all -- but it got pretty tedious when she began texting him while they were both out on patrol, leading him to either reply to her without the others seeing him use his phone or ignore her altogether. The texts were usually warnings of certain streets to avoid -- which was actually really handy in deciphering where crime was currently going down when they  _ weren’t  _ patrolling together -- or just little jokes mocking the other vigilantes with burns even  _ she  _ felt were too harsh or too dumb to say out loud. (Felix’s personal favorite was when she called Dark Gunner “one song lyric away from shooting a teddy bear because it had darker hair than he did”.

And third, he’d noticed that Brenna’s treatment of him was actually getting in the way of how much time he could spend as a vigilante. It sounds ludicrous but her increased habit of checking in on him meant he actually had to  _ be _ him more often, resulting in daytime crime-fighting being substantially decreased that week.

Honestly, he would’ve been touched by how obviously attached she had gotten to Felix J. Cooper if it wasn’t so embarrassing to know how weak she thought he was, disruptive to his schedule, and if it didn’t make him wonder why it hadn’t been the same as vigilantes.

A long week of this led to Friday, the 13th of October and Felix’s own personal breakthrough that he was going to resort to passive-aggressive texts to Miles if he couldn’t figure out a way to clear everything up  _ soon _ .

He was engaging in his nightly routine of pretending to be the best crime-fighter of the group while secretly wishing his eyes could shoot lasers through Miles’ head, idly listening to KeyMaster bemoan everything from online theorists to the police -- really, anyone trying to figure out her identity -- while Magic Bat attempted to placate like the good person he was, when Flex informed him that there were sounds of struggle in an alley a few streets over.

With a few quick words, they were off.

The group of maybe 15-20 Hellside Harbor’s members, as easily identified by the crimson bandanas the group had begun wearing as of late, were indeed in an altercation of some kind. Felix figured the members of the brawl who weren’t wearing red must’ve been from the remnants of Bloody Bones, but he really couldn’t be sure.

It only took a few seconds for the team -- though Felix still refused to address that they were, at this point, a team -- to jump into action, knowing their places pretty well by now.

KeyMaster wasted no time rushing in with quick jabs and swings, her main priority to break up the action already occurring into less condensed areas. 

Felix was quick behind her, having realized in the last few months that he was actually pretty good at knocking people out in as few hits as possible when he focused on hitting weak points.

Magic Bat typically worked on the other end of the conflict, quickly disorienting and binding down anyone who looked especially dangerous or violent with his cards -- Felix was always amazed at how versatile a floating deck of playing cards was -- and typically tried his best to get any innocents or injured out of the way. Already, he was hauling a few Bloody Bones members to the sidewalk and giving quick explanations to any stray passersby to “please refrain from calling the police quite yet, my friends and I aren't exactly loved by the law” to which Felix presumed the civilians were won over by his smile.

Dark Gunner had recently gotten a silencer that he only seemed to use half the time. Felix also had no clue where he kept it when it wasn’t on his gun and never saw him attach or detach it. Nevertheless, Miles was the only one breaking their typical roles.

Sure, he’d fired a shot or two at the knives that had been clearly visible at the start of the fight but since then, he’d been in the fray himself, something increasingly common as of late. Felix didn’t really know if he’d commend the guy for using box cutters instead of bullets but, so long as nobody died in front of him, Felix wasn’t going to whine about the method.

At least, he wasn’t until he missed a punch, too preoccupied with observing Dark Gunner’s surprisingly brutal hand-to-hand combat -- Miles  _ did _ seem like the guy who’d get into street-fights, now that Felix thought about it -- and the guy he’d missed swung back hard.

It was times like this Felix wished he had more muscle or wasn’t quite so shor-- slightly below average height, because he was slightly ashamed of how easily he was flung onto the ground by the blow. To be fair, though, the guy had ridiculous muscles so could Felix  _ really _ be blamed?

Before he even fully registered the switchblade that his opponent flipped open, a blur of black appeared in front of him and countered the impending slash, leaving a box cutter behind in the guy’s shoulder.

Felix wasted no time in getting back up and delivering a final takedown. Sidenote: Jabbing people in their pressure points made him feel really cool but also made his fingers hurt on occasion, so he usually defaulted to landing a hit on their temple.

The rest of the altercation passed by fast, KeyMaster and Magic Bat scarily efficient at dispersing and de-escalating, and Felix was tying up wrists with zip-ties less than a minute later when it started to rain.

“Eight,” KeyMaster called out as she pulled up a random phone to alert the police with.

Magic Bat pouted. “Only got five. Most of the non-red guys left pretty quickly once we got here so I didn’t get a lot of them.”

“Six,” Felix added, “Though I think a few of them were actually finished off by Beanie-Baby… speaking of, thanks for the save back there, Blondie.”

When the gunman didn’t immediately grunt or snap out some half-hearted insult, Felix looked up from his work and noticed the other teen leaning against a wall, gripping his left forearm.

Felix decided the knocked out gang members could wait until the police arrived.

“Beanie-Baby?” He inquired as he walked over. “You hurt?”

Dark Gunner glanced up as though he were glaring but Felix couldn’t help but feel like the gaze wasn’t quite as scary as it usually was.

“Fine,” he gritted out. “That fucker just got me when I blocked his strike. I’ll be fine.”

Felix heard sirens and sighed, knowing it was time to hurry. 

“Let’s get out of here and patch you up, then. I’m pretty sure Key-Club has gauze--”

Dark Gunner jerked off from the wall and staggered away from the group. “No, I’ll handle it myself. See ya’.”

And, before Felix could express worry for his friend traveling home in the rain that was getting heavier by the minute, Key-Club was pulling him in the opposite direction, telling him they had to get going.

A part of him felt awful Miles had gotten hurt protecting him when, if he would’ve moved faster, the blonde wouldn’t have needed to.

Another part of him was already forming a plan.

~

Felix wasn’t entirely sure what time Miles woke up on Saturdays but, if he was anything like Felix, waiting until the afternoon was a safe bet. So, the next day at 2:17 pm, when both Juliana and Chester were gone and wouldn’t be back for a few more hours -- he’d checked with them -- Felix gave Miles a call and asked him to come over under the pretense that he wanted to talk about emotional shit.

Miles took around 30 minutes to show up.

Felix welcomed the blonde in and immediately set about making them a pot of coffee but, wow, Miles kinda looked like shit.

Not to say the teen  _ ever _ looked put-together or energetic or, fuck, even especially happy, but the circles under his eyes were darker than normal and his gait was sluggish. He even looked paler than normal -- an impressive feat considering Miles typically looked like he’d just crawled out of a cave anyway -- and there was an obvious wince on his face whenever he moved his arm too quickly. Belatedly, Felix realized Miles and the other vigilantes may not have quite the same healing factor as he did.

Nevertheless, Felix had a plan to stick to, one that he’d already learned first-hand works pretty well, even if he was absolutely going to put his own spin on it.

Before exiting the kitchen, mugs of coveted, hot coffee safe in hand, he checked the flowchart he’d spent all morning making one more time, prepped his lines, and put on a shy, unassuming smile. He was pretty sure he had things covered but he’d found that smiling tended to make his plans go better whenever they involved others. He couldn’t figure out if it was because he was used to smiling as a vigilante or if it was something else.

Miles, though Felix knew he’d previously mentioned not loving coffee, accepted the mug of deliciousness with a desperation for the caffeine that Felix hadn’t seen in anyone but himself.

It wasn’t relevant, though, so Felix’s first words were a pre-planned, “You getting sick?”

Miles snorted into his coffee. “No. It’s getting to that time of year, though. I get the feeling the rain’s gonna be a real bitch this year.”

Felix shrugged as he settled into his own seat on the blonde’s left side. “Helped me fall asleep last night--” which was true, actually, as he actually woke up feeling refreshed for once, “-- so I don’t really mind it that much.”

Miles didn’t hide his light scowl, though Felix really wondered if the blonde even knew  _ how _ to hide his emotions at this point. “Roof of my place gets leaks and the landlord’s a low-life so we’re expected to deal with it ourselves.”

It was a good deflection but Felix was still more prepared, transitioning to his second lead-in.

“You have a point there,” Felix agreed, taking a long, warming sip of his coffee before continuing, “though, for me, it’s more that I dripped a ton of water into my room when I got home last night and couldn’t really do too much about the soaking carpet without waking J-- my parents.”

He cursed himself for the slight slip-up but Miles, thankfully, looked more caught off guard by the reference to his vigilante activity. Felix let a moment of silence sink in before sending a confident grin at the other teen.

“You didn’t forget, did you?” He teased lightly, earning an eye roll.

“I didn’t  _ forget _ , I just wasn't expecting you to bring it up so casually,” Miles muttered tiredly, though Felix could see the slight flush of embarrassment.

Felix forced his eyebrows into a frown of confusion, despite only wanting to giggle at the moment. “Why… why wouldn’t I? Now that things are honest between us, I don’t see why I shouldn’t be when we’re in private.”

It was guilt-tripping, through and through, but Felix  _ did _ still want to punish Miles a little for last week, so he found this method perfectly acceptable

Miles nodded slowly and breathed out, “Fair enough,” before freezing still.

_ That happened way faster than I thought it would _ , Felix mused to himself, switching his gaze to a thoughtful one.

“Huh,” he fake-pondered. “You know, that phrase has somehow spread between both our school friends  _ and _ the other vigilantes. Weird, right? Guess I’m to blame, there. Or it’s just an odd coincidence.”

Felix liked to think he could read Miles pretty well by this point in their friendship. Still, though, he couldn’t figure out the expression that passed over the other’s face for the life of him.

“Right,” Miles said slowly, taking in a deep breath. “Probably that last thing. Anyway, you said there was something you wanted to talk about?”

Felix resisted the urge to laugh as he transitioned to his third lead-in.

“Oh… yeah…” He drew out his words as though it was an effort to speak them, making sure his shoulders slumped at a believable pace. “So, well, I’ve had some close calls in the past but… well, I’m not sure how close to dying I came last night…”

Miles’ eyes blew wide open and Felix knew the blonde was thinking of the right incident.

“What do you mean?” The blonde forced out.

Felix let his gaze drop to his coffee mug. “I… well, I got knocked down. Easily. It was embarrassing. And the dude had a knife and it would’ve been so easy for him to just… swipe, slash, stab… end it. I really think that if Beanie-Baby hadn’t been so quick to my rescue, I wouldn’t have been able to get out without a shitton of blood loss at best. At worst… well, you can actually die in just a few seconds if you hit the throat just right, so, yeah…”

Miles, thankfully, was too enraptured in the retelling to ask about the nickname. “That’s… that’s not good.”

Felix sent the blonde a wry smile. “You can say that again. I mean, I’ve been in life-threatening danger tons of times -- fuck, earlier this week, I just barely missed getting shot by a robber--”

“Excuse me?”

“--but I think the thing getting me most is that Beanie-Baby was obviously hurt when he saved me and didn’t let me help,” Felix finished, kinda sad that he wasn’t even lying about anything.

Miles finally pulled an expression other than  _ incredibly-stressed _ . “What…”

Felix threw up his hands in exasperation. “He just took off! Right when it started raining with, for all I know, a giant gash on his arm! As if I don’t have enough problems to deal with already, now I have to worry about if one of my friends got a fucking infection!”

Miles, obviously, hadn’t thought about the situation that way but the guilt-trip seemed to work.

“Maybe… maybe next time you see him, you should ask again?” He suggested, voice wavering. “He was probably just… stressed?”

Felix let himself straighten up again, sending a curious look at Miles. “I thought you didn’t like Dark Gunner? You diss him a lot. I guess I just wasn’t expecting you to empathize with him?”

A slightly panicked look crossed over Miles’ face. “I-- Well, I mean-- If he saved you, uh, I guess he... can’t be that bad?”

Felix sent the blonde a warm smile to encourage that line of thinking. “He  _ isn’t _ that bad, period. He’s a bit weird and definitely has some issues but he’s a good guy.”

Miles went a bit red before he tried to cough away whatever threatened to come out of his mouth without his permission -- Felix doubted he was stifling a laugh.

Nevertheless, he didn’t give the blonde a chance to reply, choosing instead to go for the kill. It was also his least favorite part of the whole plan, especially considering how Miles looked today, but he knew it was the quickest, most efficient, and most dramatic way to go about it.

“But that’s enough of that,” Felix concluded, sending Miles a goofy grin. “I don’t want to spend all day convincing you the other vigilantes aren't awful. More importantly, I want to ask you about Jett--” he didn’t, and that’s why this was the moment he “playfully” punched Miles’ arm.

Miles obviously hadn’t been expecting the sudden burst of pain and Felix had to hold back his own sympathy-wince as the blonde let out an involuntary… gasp? Squeal? Grunt? The sound was so mangled and sudden that Felix truly had no words to describe it other than awful.

But Felix had done it for a reason and he wasn’t going to let the pain he inflicted be for nothing.

So, instead of giving in to his instincts to apologize and retreat, he called forth his memory of his flow-chart and continued on the path he’d labeled “Medium Pain Reaction”.

“Miles! Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Felix blurted out, shooting to his feet and quickly setting both of their mugs on the table. “Fuck, um… are you hurt?”

Miles’ face twisted up. “I-- no, no I’m, I’m fine.”

Felix finally let his act fall away for a minute as his eyes narrowed in irritation. “Bullshit. Let me see your arm. I’ll get the first-aid kit.”

He didn’t pay attention to Miles’ protests, instead quickly running to his room and fishing the first-aid kit out from under his bed before returning to a still-reluctant Miles. 

As he sat on the coffee table in front of Miles and tugged on the blonde’s arm. Miles, seemingly understanding he had no way to escape, just sighed and rolled up his sleeve.

The gash was… worse than Felix had expected it to be. Normally, one this size on  _ him _ would have already been half-healed but on Miles? It looked about how he’d expect a slice to look on any normal person. While it was actually kinda relieving to know Miles’ physical state hadn’t been fucked with too much, it sure as hell wasn’t useful the one time he’d be okay with Miles being a little less normal.

Most egregious, though…

Felix sent a glare into Miles’ own resigned gaze. “You didn’t even wrap it up? How could you be such a dumbass?”

Miles scowled back at him. “Jett’s been patching me up after street fights since we were little. I just… haven’t seen him yet.”

Which probably meant Jett and Brody were hanging out today. Figures.

As Felix started cleaning the wound, he slipped back into his dramatics. “For fuck’s sake, how’d you even  _ get _ this? You weren’t really out fighting random strangers when gunfights have become increasingly common, were you? Unless you’re  _ in _ a gang or…”

Felix let himself trail off, pausing in his ministrations briefly and turned wide eyes up at Miles.

_ Finishing Blow. _

“No… no fucking way,” he breathed out, conjuring his initial reaction to learning Miles’ identity to seal the performance. “No, no, no, no, no… You’re not… but it’s…”

Miles tried to plead ignorance, asking, “Felix, what are you talking about?” But the blonde was shaking so Felix saw right through it.

Felix kept going. “You… you didn’t look confused when I mentioned the nickname Beanie-Baby… Fuck, you both try to hide your laughs, you’re around the right height, the… the black clothing… Miles, this cut is exactly where Dark Gunner was holding his wound last night. Please, tell me the truth…”

The last plea was genuine, mostly because he’d put his all into this whole rouse and it would really suck if Miles retreated again and wasted all his work but… but also because, underlying his annoyance at Miles for all of this was genuine hurt that he didn’t trust him enough.

The way Brody thought Felix didn’t trust him. 

Miles, unsurprisingly, looked panicky, but his answer came in the form of him turning his face away from Felix and sighing heavily.

Felix leaned back, knowing Miles well enough to tell he’d given into the conversation. “Why… why didn’t you  _ tell _ me back when you confronted me? If you knew who I was, why’d you hide it? What’s the point of doing that?”

Miles refused to meet Felix’s eyes. “I… it’s not like that… Felix, I just…”

Felix decided to just let the blonde take his time, refocusing his attention on cleaning and dressing his wound and by the time Felix was finishing up wrapping gauze around the cut, Miles seemed like he was trying to speak again.

At first, the words were too quiet to hear and, at Felix's blank expression, Miles cleared his throat and said, “I was scared you’d reject me if you knew I was a killer.”

And, well, Felix didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but that was certainly not it. Though, upon reflection of all of Miles’ little jabs at Dark Gunner, maybe he should have seen it coming.

Staring dumbly at Miles, Felix tried to voice the main thought that was running through his head. “But… but you knew I was GLITCH.”

Miles didn’t seem to understand, sending him a quizzical expression. “...yeah?”

Felix puffed out a small laugh. “If I was fine with Dark Gunner, why would knowing he was my friend make me dislike him? If I was going to draw the line at your methods, I would’ve done it from the start.”

Miles shook his head vehemently. “No, it’s-- it’s different. It’s… the situation, the expectations, it’s different. You’d be willing to accept Dark Gunner cause he’s a vigilante. But a high schooler? It’s just… different.”

“No…” Felix drawled out, setting a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. “It really isn’t. Not when you’re already a vigilante. Believe me, Miles, I got over the murder-boner a while ago. It’s not my cup of tea and I’d really rather you didn’t for all sorts of moral reasons, but if I was gonna draw the line there, I’d have done it the first time we met. And I certainly wouldn’t have let Batty be the one to hand you your gun back on that fire escape.”

Miles frowned. “Wait… all the way back then, you were okay with me?”

Felix shrugged nonchalantly. “You liked my jokes and didn’t kill me. That’s, like, two whole marks in the pros column.”

That, finally, got Miles to choke out a laugh of his own. It was small, but it put a smile on his face and, honestly, that felt better than everything going to plan.

Felix, finally, settled back, resting a hand on the coffee table for support. “But, seriously, I really wish we’d gotten this all out of the way sooner… I was actually kinda needing to talk to the rest of you in person, anyway.”

Miles’ frown returned. “What do you mean? You were… planning on tracking us down?”

Felix rose an eyebrow. “Apparently, I don’t need to as far as you’re concerned. And, um, well… I kinda figured out who KeyMaster was about a week ago--”

“Fucking what?”

“--but that’s not important right now,” Felix insisted, bracing himself for what was, by far, going to be the hardest part of this whole conversation. “The important thing… well, um… remember a while back when we shared some trivia on ourselves? And I kinda blurted out that I didn’t know where I got Flex?”

“Your scarf? Uh, yeah, I remember. That was the night that video of you opening the door popped up,” Miles confirmed.

“And remember how I mentioned I hadn’t known I had that power before then?”

Another nod.

“And remember how KeyMaster shared a similar sentiment?”

Miles’ frown deepened. “Felix, what are you getting at?”   
  


Felix took in a deep breath to ready himself and met Miles’ gaze. “I… there’s been a lot of stuff I haven’t been able to tell any of you about… and it involves the likely place we got all out gear and abilities from.” Miles looked ready to question him again so Felix just kept going. “Just, listen. At the start of the summer, I was approached by two people who dressed kinda like us vigilantes do and had powers. They… they said they knew me. Fuck, they knew my  _ name _ , Miles, and it freaked me out cause I’d never met them before. So I jumped off a building--”

“ _ That’s _ the reason?”

“--and found out the wings the guy had were fully operational,” Felix finished, soaking in Miles’ expression of pure confusion and surprise.

“...wings? The guy… he can fly?” The blonde choked out.

Felix nodded but decided not to waste too much time on it. “Yeah, but that’s not all. They were wearing masks like mine and Key’s and… well, when I finally sat down to talk to them, they made it pretty obvious my whole life was a lie.”

Miles just motioned for Felix to keep talking, seemingly too confused to comment.

“I… well, I didn’t believe them at first but… when I figured out my powers, I started putting the pieces together and everything they said made a lot more sense,” he continued explaining. “Too much sense. I… I can get into the specifics later, but I’m pretty sure I was brainwashed? Every time I started questioning why I was different or what my life was like before I moved here, I just shoved it back. Realizing I had powers kinda broke that, mostly. But… but my parents aren’t my real parents and all my memories from before moving here are fake and, fuck, I  _ know _ they are cause Candor and Cara know me so well but I don’t remember either of them and I didn't remember having any other friends before this even though I wanted to believe I did and…”

Fuck. He thought this would be easier. It was so easy to talk about with Candor. Why couldn’t he get through a sentence without stuttering or rambling? Moreover, he  _ had _ to be clear. He  _ had _ to make sense. Above all else, he needed Miles to believe him.

So he took another deep breath. 

“And, well, I… I noticed some things with you guys, too,” he admitted. “Like I said, KeyMaster had a similar reaction to her powers that I did. Personally, I have no alternate theories for however the fuck our warlock got his powers and… Miles, where’d you get your guns?”

Miles’ eyes were blown wide. “I, um… I only have one.”

Felix blinked owlishly. “But… you’re reported as using different bullet sizes. So don’t you have more than one?”

The blonde shook his head numbly. “No, it just… adjusts…”

“And where’d you get it?”

“I don’t…”

“And how do you have such good aim when you’re only fourteen?” Felix went on. “Have… have you always been able to kill? Do you even really  _ want _ to kill? ‘Cause sometimes you seem like you hate it, Blondie.”

Miles just kept shaking his head. “I… I… Felix this is--”

Felix cut the denial off. “I know. I know it’s ridiculous and scary and your brain is probably screaming at you to deny it all, right?”

Miles looked nauseous. “How did you--”

“Because that’s how I felt,” Felix reasoned. “That’s how I felt every time I saw Key’s mask, which looks exactly like mine, just in silver. That’s how I felt when I brushed off questions about how Magic Bat seems to prove magic is real, which I’m still really nervous to get into. That’s how I felt when I noticed Dark Gunner seemed… kinda young. Too young.”

“That still doesn’t… prove…” Miles tried to protest, words dying as Felix sighed deeply.

“Maybe it doesn’t,” Felix admitted. “But it’s not good. Just… do you… do you have any gaps in your memory? You seem to still be pretty normal physically, so I don’t know if it would’ve been a weekend or longer but… How… how sure are you the person you’re living with is actually related to you?”

Miles’ eyes darkened with that. “Unfortunately, I know my uncle is my real uncle. But…”

Felix, wanting to encourage whatever came next, moved back to sitting beside Miles, trying his best to not act stiff or awkward as he wrapped an arm around the blonde’s shoulder for comfort, purposefully letting Miles drop his head down and averting his own gaze.

After a minute, Miles spoke up again, a light tremor shaking his shoulders. “There was… well, around last Spring Break, my uncle sent me to this week-long disciplinary camp. Except I don’t actually remember much of it and Jett complained for maybe a month afterward that I hadn’t warned him I was about to disappear even though I could’a sworn I had. I always thought I’d just not given a shit but… if… if what you’re saying is true… It lines right up with when I got my gun… and… and when I started…”

Miles went completely still for a moment before a choked sob made its way out of his throat. 

“Fuck… no, no, no. I just… I don’t know,” the blonde muttered, reaching up to tug at his hair. “I can’t know. I--”

Miles finally turned to look at Felix who, honestly, had begun to feel lost as to what the next move would be. His flow chart hadn’t prepared him for crying blondes -- a dangerous oversight, considering it was becoming a pretty common occurrence.

And yeah, Miles was crying. It really reminded him of that day in  _ Popchester’s _ after what had happened in the office. The green in his irises stood out painfully against the red surrounding them, brows pinched in a way that looked tiring. For a moment, Felix could only stare. 

Still, though, he had to do  _ something _ .

So he pulled a Candor and draped his other arm across Miles too and, being mindful of the guy’s arm, pulled him into a hug.

“It’s okay…” he whispered, knowing god-damn well that nothing had been okay in a long time. “It’s okay. We can drop it for today. Just… I know it’s hard but I really need you to keep thinking about this ‘cause it’s really important and I can’t deal with it without you guys anymore. Just promise me you’ll work on it.”

Miles was still crying as he nodded, barking out an affirmative before burying his head in Felix’s shoulder.

It wasn’t okay. It so wasn’t okay. Felix knew this. He knew it as well as he knew that the ocean reflected the sky or that Juliana probably needed to see a therapist or that hugs were underrated. 

Nothing about this situation was okay and he doubted it ever would be.

But, still, when Miles asked if he could stay at Felix’s instead of going home, when he made the blonde hide in his closet when Juliana came home, and when he caught Flex up on the progress he’d made on their plans while Miles was deep asleep, hidden away under his bed…

He couldn’t help but think, just maybe, they could make things okay. Eventually.

~

The best perk of clearing everything up with Miles was, easily, being able to discuss patrol plans and where to meet up. It also meant, if he knew Miles wasn’t going to be out that night, he didn’t have to waste time wondering.

And, thanks to the texts he was still getting from Brenna about where he needed to avoid, he knew exactly where to find her.

Even if his sudden interruption  _ did _ earn him another flick on the forehead.

“Hey! What was that for?” He protested, knowing exactly what it had been for.

KeyMaster scoffed. “You shouldn’t just pop up mid-fight with no good reason, Scarfy. I could have swung at you on instinct.”

Felix peered over her shoulder to appraise how much that would’ve hurt based on how messed up the guys she’d been fighting looked and decided she was probably right -- always was.

Still, he only shrugged. “I need to talk to you. Do we need to tie these guys up?”

She glanced back at the group casually. “Nah. They’ve probably learned their lesson.”

_ “Felix, never piss this girl off again. I don’t think you’d make it,” _ Flex advised him and Felix had to agree -- dork or not, KeyMaster was still a fucking force of nature.

“Ah, right, then… It’s kinda important so we should go somewhere there's no chance we’ll be spotted,” he explained, realizing he hadn’t actually thought of a good place to actually talk.

“Havenden Belltower?”

“No… I trust Batty not to eavesdrop on us but I still don’t wanna risk him checking his cards at the wrong time…” Felix elaborated, mulling over his other options before landing on something satisfactory. “Oh! There’s a whole empty floor on an office building near here. I used it a lot last winter whenever it got too cold. Follow me?”

KeyMaster shrugged. “Lead the way.”

Felix, honestly, didn’t know exactly what he was going to say. He didn’t know KeyMaster well enough to plan out their conversations and he had no clue how she’d react. But Miles, upon learning that Felix had found out who KeyMaster was and hadn’t told her, made him promise to confront her about everything and… well, it only seemed fair.

Once they’d satisfactorily broken and entered the building and cozied away in the least decrepit and most secure room they could find, Felix began pacing to psych himself up while KeyMaster settled down on a stray chair. He could tell, despite her best efforts to appear casual, that she was worried about what he might say, which was making his anxiety even worse.

It took him 36 seconds to stop shaking like a chihuahua and turn to face her.

“First off,” he began, hoping he was making eye-contact but not really being able to tell due to their stupid masks being in the way, “I want you to go easy on me.”

She rose a brow. “What?”

Felix sighed. “This has just been a really rough situation and I understand if you get angry or something but it’s been rough for me too and I want to explain as best I can, so patience would be greatly appreciated.”

“Scarfy, what are you--?”

“Just promise me?” He pleaded tiredly.

After a moment’s pause, she nodded.

“Okay…” he breathed out. “Okay, so, um, I guess I should just say sorry and get on with it.”

“I’m still not following…” KeyMaster tried to persist, only interrupted by Felix reaching for his mask. “Hey, wait, what are--”

Her breath caught in her throat as he gave his mask a tug and fixed her with his best apologetic smile. After noticing he wasn’t exactly sure what to do with his mask, which was now just awkwardly held in his hand, he let it drop to the ground beside his feet. After  _ that _ , he realized he had no clue what to do with his hands now that they weren't holding onto something and, with a jolt, brought them together behind him, straightening up his posture.

KeyMaster just kept staring.

_ “Tell me if I need to shield you. You’re better at deciphering body language,” _ Flex offered after another moment of silence had passed.

“I am?” Felix asked, wincing as he realized he’d probably just shocked KeyMaster even worse with his whole “talking to his scarf” bit.

Finally, just as the silence was getting too loud, Felix sighed and slumped his shoulders. “Look, I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you immediately. I tried but you were in a hurry and I was too shocked to think fast enough -- Flex tells me I can’t think quickly to save my life -- and I know you deserve to know that I know. Plus, Beanie-Baby insisted that I tell you out of some honor code or something, which is kinda funny coming from him but still true and --”

And KeyMaster was laughing again.

That, in and of itself, was shocking enough to hear, given how infrequently she let loose like that. It was even  _ more _ rattling considering he’d been expecting anger for not being honest or her usual closed-off, snappy behavior. 

Even if he  _ had _ made a flow-chart, he wouldn’t have been prepared for this anyway.

“Um, sorry, Brenna?” He interrupted, trying to catch his mind up to what was happening. “What, uh, what’s so funny?”

She shook her head quickly. “I just-- hah-- feel like I should’ve expected it. Life’s been so weird recently, this shouldn’t have even surprised me!”

Felix was well aware of how fucking ridiculous his life was. In fact, he’d laughed about it before. And cried about it. Basically, his awareness of the fact covered the whole emotional range. Which was exactly why seeing KeyMaster in hysterics over it was so weird. She just… she just  _ didn’t _ openly express emotions that often, so the sudden knowledge that she could laugh about it probably meant she could cry about it, too.

But Felix figured he’d done enough crying recently so, instead of letting himself break down as per usual, he joined her laughing fit and, by the time they’d both settled down enough to actually talk, Flex had begun to bemoan the wasted time.

Felix forced himself to come to a full stop before, once again, trying to make his actual point.

“Okay, okay, listen,” he spoke again, catching KeyMaster’s attention. “This… I wish it was, but this isn’t just a social call. There’s something you need to know about.”

The laughter vanished from KeyMaster’s throat as she stiffened up. “What do you mean?”

Felix resumed his pacing. “Well, okay… So, I’ve already given Dark Gunner the basic rundown -- don’t ask, long story -- and I think he’s still processing it all. Don’t blame him. If he’s done within the month he’ll still beat me by several. But… Key, remember when we talked about our powers? You know, after we figured out we had more than we thought we did?”

KeyMaster nodded. “I do. That was around a month ago, Felix. Did you know what you’re about to tell me back then, too?”

Felix flinched. “Ah… well, yes and no. I definitely knew about myself but I wasn’t sure about the rest of you. That night actually helped me figure it out.”

KeyMaster took a deep breath -- Felix figured she was remembering he’d made her promise to be patient -- and waved for him to continue.

“Basically, um… you remember what you said you felt about figuring out your powers?” Felix asked tentatively. “That you felt you shouldn’t be thinking about it?”

“Yeah… it was… unpleasant,” she confessed. “Still haven’t completely shaken it.”

Felix sighed, though, whether from relief or stress, he couldn't tell. “I told you I understood how you felt. And that’s true. Still is. But there’s more to it. Before the attack on our school, a was reapproached by someone I’d met earlier in the summer. He and his sister tried to explain things to me back then but I didn’t believe them. I was scared, without knowing why. The same way I felt about thinking about my powers. When he found me again and we started actually figuring things out, it… it made a lot of sense.”

KeyMaster tilted her head. “Scarfy… I hate to say it but I’m not following.”

“I know. I’m being vague and confusing,” Felix apologized quickly, taking quick, shallow breaths. “I promise, I’ll get into more details later but Candor’s honestly better at explaining it than I am. But, basically, I’m pretty sure there’s this… organization… that’s responsible for our powers. And, well, for the feeling we get when we try to break out of their brainwashing.”

KeyMaster abruptly stood up and crossed the short distance between them. For a moment, Felix was scared she’d react the way he originally did and deny it all. 

Instead, she laid a hand on his arm. He stopped pacing.

She let out an irritated breath. “You’re jittery. Calm down. You mentioned brainwashing, right? Care to elaborate on that?”

Felix, after a moment of being completely frozen in place, relaxed and nodded. “Right. Um, I sorta figured out along the way and with some help from Candor and Cara that I… that all the memories I have before moving here are fake. Pretty flimsy, too. I mean, I don’t even remember where I went to school before moving here. I don’t remember the names of any friends, even though I feel like I  _ did _ have friends before this. There are no old pictures anywhere in my house. My parents aren’t my real parents. Stuff like that.”

“You didn’t know where you got your scarf,” KeyMaster commented.

Felix let out a humorless chuckle. “Or my mask. I bought the turtleneck myself, though.”

KeyMaster released her grip on him and took a step back. “That… that matches my experience of finding my key and it’s transformation ability. I found it one day, in my bag, and just… didn’t question it.”

Felix gave the girl in front of him a curious frown. “You’re taking this way better than I was expecting you to.”

She scoffed. “Like I said, it’s been a month. If your story is true, and honestly, I have no reason not to believe you, it’s also likely whatever manipulation they used on you was more advanced than what they used on me.”

Felix frowned. “How do you figure?”

“Easy,” she announced, a slight smirk rising on her lips. “Nobody’s come looking for me, for one thing. At least, nobody but you. Second, I can be pretty positive I didn’t receive the same treatment as you did memory-wise. My family is, unfortunately, my own. I have no doubt of that. I also don’t lack any of the information regarding my past you lack. And, third, it sounds like you needed to be told something was up before you started processing it. I started processing it without any direction from an external source. Tell me, if you hadn’t been approached by this Candor guy, do you think you would’ve convinced yourself not to question your powers, too?"

Felix blinked, taking in all the information KeyMaster had just shared. Briefly, he considered that she could definitely take over the world if she actually wanted to before setting his mind back to her question.

“I… I don’t know,” he admitted. “Maybe I would have but there were so many other red flags I ignored. And, honestly, if I’m so unsure, I guess it’s safe to assume I wouldn’t have.”

_ “I’d like to think I would’ve noticed something was up by that point, kiddo,” _ Flex’s crisp voice rang out, shocking Felix into a small fit of laughter.

“Ah, Flex says he would’ve prompted me by then, but he doesn’t really count,” Felix explained upon seeing KeyMaster’s shocked expression.

The other vigilante just nodded before launching back into it. “These friends you keep mentioning, I’d like to meet them before completely signing onto this. Don’t get me wrong, I don't think you’re lying, but--”

“I get it,” Felix assured her. “This is weird and uncharted and you want to be sure we’re not wrong about anything. I want to make sure too. They’re, um, in a bit of a more dangerous position than we are, though. They’re still living at the facility. They’ve been giving me whatever information they can find but… I think they should run from that place soon.”

KeyMaster immediately understood what he was getting at. “Well, when that happens, give me a call. And… you mentioned you already discussed this with Dark Gunner? Did you…”

Felix shook his head. “I didn’t tell him who you were. He understood and expected me not to share his identity until we all met up either.”

“All? So you think our warlock is involved in this too?”

Felix shrugged. “Well, I have no other way to explain how he does what he does. Plus, it’s possible he has a similar transformation ability to you, given he’s admitted he doesn’t have pink hair and golden eyes in real life. And, given how weirdly coincidental everything has been recently, it would make way more sense if all four of us were messed with by the same organization than only three out of four of us.”

“Fair enough,” KeyMaster conceded before catching herself and groaning. “Dammit. I was on a record amount of time for not saying it, too. Anyway, since you seem to be on a roll with it, I’ll leave informing Magic Bat about the situation to you.”

“Oh, joy,” Felix muttered.

Felix got the feeling KeyMaster rolled her eyes at him.

An alarm went off from within KeyMaster’s bag suddenly and she stiffened up. 

“Right, almost forgot,” she muttered as she pulled out her phone and turned off the alarm, voice turning cold. “Listen, there’s something I need to go deal with right now, but you’d better keep me updated on all this.”

Felix nodded as she grabbed her key and turned to leave, suddenly reminding him a lot more of the vigilante he’d first met instead of the one he’d gotten to know over the course of many nights spent running around the city together.

It was an odd feeling. Mostly because he knew KeyMaster had kinda been more open as of late but that he’d never really noticed just how much she’d warmed up to him until a taste of the past came forth. It was probably just the way she dealt with this sort of thing, he decided. Absolutely nothing to worry about. He and Miles might break down in tears but she probably just closed up instead. She’d be back to normal soon enough, just the same way that he and Miles couldn’t keep crying forever.

But it was then Felix realized something. Something he’d first noticed on the edges of his mind when he’d had that talk with Brody.

Nothing goes back to normal by ignoring the issue. He had to work for something better, not for whatever “back to normal” meant.

“Hey!” He called out, quickly scooping up his mask and placing it back on his face. “Before you go--”

KeyMaster, who was already well on her way out of the room, turned back around to face him. “You want a drink?”

Felix snickered. “Well, yes, but that wasn't what I was going to say. It might not… It might not comfort you the way it does for me but… do you want a hug? Or, if you don’t, would you mind indulging me with one? I tend to start crying without one.”

For a moment, he’d thought he’d maybe broken her, but after a solid few seconds of utter stillness, she sighed and quickly came back over to him, wrapping her arms around him quickly. A little too quickly. Felix actually wondered if she knew how to give a hug without knocking the breath out of someone. He also wished she’d put down her key beforehand because part of it was now digging into his shin.

But he wasn’t about to complain, so he just wrapped his arms back around her until she moved to let go, handing him a drink before he even thought about asking for one again.

“Oh, and Felix?” She smirked. “My last name is Soverin. I never introduce myself with it.”

And then she was gone and Felix was left to wonder how the hell he’d find Magic Bat.


	22. [The Gang’s All Here]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the gang's all here, pt. 2

Now, Felix would have loved to move things along quicker. If it had been up to him alone, he would’ve marched down to Havenden University the second Brenna had left, called out for his warlock to come talk to him, and carried on with the same bluntness he’d used with Brenna.

For better or worse, though, the timing of things was not up to him alone. Calling the shots far more often than he did was, in fact, his anxiety, demanding he remained right where he was for a good hour after parting with Brenna to take in the situation and to make sure he wouldn’t fuck anything up. Felix was tired enough to listen to it.

So, he thought, he’d go the next day. Except that it was a school day and by the time classes were over, his anxiety had built up to the point that it was screaming at him to not go confront Magic Bat in such a blunt manner, 'cause surely that’d go wrong or upset the warlock, and that, no matter what, he’d be insane to go alone. KeyMaster had already left it up to him to deal with so he called Miles, subtly begging the blonde to come with him. Miles had agreed but that also meant he had to work with Miles’ own schedule, which was apparently crowded with “previous engagements.” Felix was genuinely unsure if that meant hanging out with Jett or murder but he wasn’t about to question it. 

Felix also, belatedly, realized that he’d rather avoid Juliana’s work hours, all too keenly remembering the last time he’d run around the campus while trying to avoid Juliana and decided going as his vigilante self was a smart call. Truly, just another instance that proved he was a mess. And another piece of evidence that daytime vigilanting was the absolute worst.

Which meant the first possible opportunity to visit the campus and start the search for their warlock’s civilian identity was a fucking Monday. Thankfully, it was only the next Monday and a full week hadn’t yet gone by, but still. Monday. Gross.

Still, he wasn’t going to waste the opportunity, so he and Miles took off for Havenden the moment the last bell rang, trying their best not to look completely out of place as they meandered onto the campus crowded with college-age students, very much aware that Miles looked perpetually ready to whip out a knife and that he himself looked like a lost twelve-year-old, as much as he hated to admit it.

Making it to the library without any security guards or concerned passersby asking them what was up was almost a miracle. Making it  _ into _ the library threatened to be trickier when they were caught off-guard by a machine asking for their ID’s before they were permitted entry. The pair was panicked for all of two seconds before they remembered that Felix could control electronics and thus, they were in.

By the time they made it to a table nestled in an empty corner of the library, Felix still had no clue what to do to actually find Magic Bat.

“We could do some sort of distraction to draw his attention?” Miles suggested as he threw his school bag on the ground and slumped into a chair at the table.

Felix avoided the blonde’s bag as he began pacing around the table in circles. “What, like pretend to fight? We’d probably get arrested before he showed up.”

“You could do your little hacking thing again?”

It was a good start. 

“Yeah… We could get into the office and search through all the student ID pictures?” Felix mulled it over, passing Miles as he paced. “Assuming he doesn’t completely change his face when transforming, we could probably recognize him? Not like he has a mask and his glamour  _ does _ fade away when he, you know, expresses emotion. I know his eyebrows pretty well by now.”

“You’ve been looking at his  _ eyebrows _ ?” Miles coughed out, turning an incredulous gaze onto Felix. “I keep staring at his dimples…”

The mental image of Dark Gunner getting distracted by Magic Bat’s dimples was  _ just _ funny enough to kill a few of Felix’s runaway thoughts, eliciting a snicker as he paced.

Miles rolled his eyes. “Shut up. At least I look at his smile. Who the fuck checks out someone’s eyebrows, of all things?”

“Well,” Felix tried to defend himself, “it’s at least fair to examine, say, Jade’s eyebrows, given how short they are.”

The blonde frowned, tilting his head in confusion. “Wait, Jade has short eyebrows?”

Before Felix could respond, though -- and honestly, he had no clue what he would’ve said about Miles’ lacking eyebrow-based observational skills, anyway -- someone cleared their throat.

Swiveling his head left and stopping in his tracks, Felix’s first thought was that campus security had probably found them. This worry was quickly doused by the clothes the newcomer was wearing, which frankly looked like the guy had never even heard the word “uniform”.

So, Felix concluded, it was likely just a student wanting them to be quiet. They were, after all, giggling about eyebrows and dimples in a college library. Felix would tell himself to shut up too.

“Ah, sorry,” he apologized preemptively, wanting to avoid as much interaction as possible so as to not mess up their plan. “I get it, we were being too loud. Don’t worry, we’ll shut up now.”

The student shook his head, quirking up an eyebrow and puffing out a bemused laugh. “Good guess but I was actually going to check if you two needed any help. You don’t exactly look like students so I’m assuming you came in with someone?”

Something about the guys’ voice snapped Felix into full attention as he turned an inquisitive gaze onto the student who had apparently only wanted to help. He was pretty tall, but then again, Felix didn’t have the most accurate reference point, and worryingly skinny. His hair looked black on first glance but a closer inspection revealed it was actually dyed, fading to a deep, dark red at the tips, looking like the boy had  _ tried _ to comb it and keep it neat but failed and ended up with a parted style that was still somewhat shaggy, falling into his bright, cyan eyes.

There was something inherently familiar about him, though Felix couldn’t actually recall anyone he knew who looked quite like this guy.

It took about 30 seconds for it to finally hit him.

“Oh, fuck,” he breathed out, the student in front of him flinching at the sudden swear after such a long silence. “ _ Miles. _ ”

“What?” Miles snapped. Felix jerked his hand towards the boy. Miles, after another second or two, jumped up from his seat. “Oh! Fuck.”

As Miles came to stand at Felix’s side, the student in front of them looked progressively more concerned and confused.

“Seriously, you two, is everything okay?” He continued asking, taking a half-step toward them.

“You’re seeing what I’m seeing, right?” Miles asked, causing the student to scrunch up his face.

Felix nodded. “His laugh is bubbly.”

“His eyes are all pure an’ shit.”

“Classic, constant urge to be helpful.”

“He’s fucking tall.”

“Oh, good, you think so too.”

“Okay, seriously,” the student cut them off, soft eyes narrowing in concern. “What are you two talking about. Have we met before or something?”

Felix let out a snicker, trying his best to stop himself from breaking down at just how ridiculous his life was and figuring out what the hell to say now.

“Well, Blondie,” he announced, settling on trusting his friend to be more observant than he himself had proven to be. “I dare say we had nothing to worry about. Our warlock has never made anything difficult for us, after all.”

Miles coughed. “I wasn’t worried.  _ You  _ were the one pacing circles.”

“Fair enough,” Felix conceded, watching in glee as a jolt ran through the student in front of them. “I think I actually cried from the anticipation this week. Or maybe it was over something else… Lots of things to cry about these days.”

The boy in front of them wore the same expression Brody had when everyone had jumped out at him during his surprise party last May, completely shocked and possibly close to tears. Now that he thought about it, that was the only birthday party Felix could remember going to but he elected not to mull that over for the time being.

“Oh… fuck, is… is that  _ you _ , Scarfy?” Their warlock stuttered out, leaning down a little to get a close look at Felix’s face. “Holy… I knew you were  _ young _ but I really thought you were like, a staff member’s kid, or something.”

Felix gave a strained smile. “I am, actually. Kinda. Do you know Professor Cooper?”

Their warlock just stared at him before shaking his head and turning his stunned gaze to Miles, eyes not exactly expressing shock at the blonde’s clothing.

“He… called you Blondie… Are you…?” He asked, making a little finger gun.

Miles coughed and nodded. “One and only.”

“Thankfully,” Felix added in. “Don’t know if the world needs two Miles Barrett’s.”

“Barely needs one Felix Cooper,” Miles shot right back.

Felix felt an involuntary shock run through his body. “I… God, no… It’s Felix  _ J. _ Cooper… why did… why the fuck did that sound so wrong?”

Their warlock finally laughed again, airy bubbles filling the air. “Guess running to the internet can’t cure your own pickiness about your names, huh?”

The only thing Felix could think of for a second was:  _ Killing the name Scarfboy didn’t save me, after all _ . Then, he refocused on the present situation and on the fact that Magic Bat, or whatever his name actually was, was still laughing, eyes locked on the floor.

It didn’t completely sound like laughter anymore.

“Um, Batty?” Felix asked quietly, stepping forward and only slightly reaching to comfortably place a hand on the other’s shoulder. “You all good?”

The other boy nodded, though one of his giggles sounded suspiciously like a sniffle.

“I’m… fine,” their warlock reassured them. “I just… what are you two  _ doing  _ here? I thought… I thought I was the only one who wanted to know everyone else in real life…”

Felix sighed. “I’m sorry. I wish wanting to meet you was the only reason we’re here ‘cause, well, I was curious about who you were anyway, but this isn’t exactly a social visit. But, before I get into any of that… um… well, we still don’t know your name?”

Their warlock perked up, eyes widening in shock. “Oh, right! My name is Lee. Lee Haverhill. You guys are Felix and Miles, then?”

Felix nodded, mentally committing the name “Lee” to his memory as he said, “Yeah, that’s us. Listen, I promise we’ll have a good, purely social hangout later, but for right now, is there anywhere we can go?”

Lee frowned and tilted his head. “Other than the belltower?”

Felix nodded. “Too conspicuous. Plus, I accidentally left Flex at home. Actually, he’s probably pretty pissed right about now. He wouldn’t admit it but I know he’s been wanting to meet you without the whole getup. But seriously, is there like, a janitor's closet, or something?”

Lee seemed to consider Felix’s garbled statement before nodding. “I have a dorm on campus. Five-minute walk. Come on.”

The walk was actually closer to fifteen minutes, given just how many people Lee stopped to chat with on the way. Or, more accurately, just how many people called out to him for some quick small-talk and a question or two about a shared class project. Though Felix wasn’t truly surprised that Lee had so many acquaintances, he couldn’t help but feel a sickening sense of unease at a few of their smiles and the impersonal way they talked to him. It wasn’t that noticeable but Felix was pretty well accustomed to the mildly disgruntled stares of others by now and he knew how to recognize forced politeness when he saw it.

As a side-note, he still wasn’t entirely sure what that was all about. He’d gotten more than a few gazes filled with pure discontent even while on this little walk across campus. Granted, he looked a little like a lost child, but it wasn’t exactly an isolated incident. Still, he had more important social problems to focus on than his relationship with strangers.

Lee’s dorm was entirely what Felix had expected: Just small enough to be cramped, walls on his side of the room covered in anime posters, a variety of bright colors, random playing cards scattered around his desk, and a laptop left open to display some video game’s title screen.

Miles immediately made himself comfortable on the side of the room that was very obviously not Lee’s and glanced around at the blank walls. “What’s with your roommate? He not into decoration?”

Lee shrugged and sat down on his own bed, taking up surprisingly little space for how long his legs were. “Honestly? I’ve only seen him, like, three times this entire year. Pretty sure he stays with his SO, you know? Still, I don’t feel comfortable expanding to his side, cause, well, if he comes back it might bother him.”

Felix smiled softly at the familiar behavior, more effectively convincing his brain that this boy was the pink-haired warlock he knew so well. 

Then his smile dropped as he sighed, leaning back against the door. “Well, at least that means we don’t have to worry about interruptions. Before we really get into things, though, I have a few preliminary questions. Just to be entirely sure.”

Miles let out a sharp laugh. “You sound so prepared.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “Well, this is the third time I’m having this discussion.”

Lee’s eyebrows knitted together. “Does that mean you already talked to KeyMaster about whatever this is?”

“Yup,” Felix confirmed. “And, as per usual, she took it  _ way _ better than Miles did.”

Miles scowled at him but it still got a light, bubbly laugh out of Lee, making it entirely worth the bone-chilling glare.

But the good mood would be ruined in just a second.

“Listen, Lee,” Felix started off. “This might come off as a bit… strong, but, well, do you remember how you got your abilities?”

Lee blinked owlishly at him. “Um, well…”

The hesitation was enough for Felix to know, dread long since pooled up in his stomach. And so, he just launched into it -- his own lack of awareness at the start of summer, the meeting with two people who made him realize something was off, his continued resistance to considering it, the dam breaking when he discovered his electronic powers, the assurance that the other vigilantes were similarly messed with.

Lee never interrupted him. The whole time he was talking, Lee just sat and quietly watched, eyes growing wide and confused, shoulders drooping down.

And, when Felix finished, having summarized why he felt it was so important to reach out and that he would give better, more detailed explanations later when they all met up, Lee stayed silent for a while longer, eyes still locked with Felix’s own.

When Lee finally spoke again, he started off with the words Felix didn’t even know were the ones he needed to hear most. 

“I… I believe you,” his warlock said, finally averting his gaze down to his fingers, playing with the cuff of his jacket sleeve. “It’s definitely a completely awful thing to tell someone and I’m suddenly extremely happy I can legally drink now, but I believe you.”

Miles frowned. “Wait, was your birthday recently? You’re twenty-fucking-one?!”

Lee winced, looking just about anywhere but Felix and Miles. “Ah, yeah. Actually, as luck would have it, it’s actually my birthday today.”

Felix resisted the urge to bemoan his own bad timing -- because of course he somehow managed to spill the worst news he could think of to the nicest person he knew on their birthday -- in order to try and focus in on Lee’s actual sentiment.

“Well, um, Happy Birthday, I guess,” Felix said, mostly because he felt it would be weird not to, before continuing, “but what do you mean? You… surely, if you were programmed the same way the rest of us were, you must have doubts. Even Key-Club took time to break through her brainwashing, albeit before I actually talked to her.”

Lee smiled sadly. “Don’t get me wrong, my brain is screaming at me to just turn tail and hide under my blankets, but I also know I trust you. And I know that you wouldn’t lie to me about something like this. What you ate for breakfast? How many hours of sleep you got? The details of your school life? I almost expect you to lie about those. But that my entire life might be a lie and that the explanation for our abilities isn’t exactly pleasant? You wouldn’t lie about that. At least, not to me. Not to us.”

And fuck, as much as it was incredibly heartwarming to know how much his warlock actually trusted him, it also tore his heart in two. It had taken him months of denying himself, his closest companion, and those who were just trying to help him to finally accept what was happening. Nobody, especially not Magic Bat, should accept the worst so easily. 

~

They didn’t stay long after that, though Felix did manage to grab Lee’s number before they left. 

Despite how simple the experience had turned out to be, and despite the fact that he’d finally approached all of his friends, he didn’t exactly feel at ease. Mostly because he was nowhere near done but now he also had to actually figure out how to deal with H.E.B.S., something he’d been wholeheartedly avoiding.

To stop his anxiety from turning him into an inconsolable puddle of fear, he knew he had to start planning. The only logical next step, of course, was to get his team together and have a chat with Candor and Cara. Likewise, it was also definitely time Candor and Cara permanently got out of H.E.B.S., further information on the organization be damned. If they were gonna do something about it, Felix couldn’t only see the pair once every other month. 

So Felix, as he’d promised, started coordinating a proper discussion. It ended up being slightly harder than he’d anticipated to find a gap in not only his team’s schedules but also for Candor and Cara to plan sneaking out permanently.

Halloween passed. Though Felix had been invited to a party at Ash’s house, he’d claimed he wasn’t feeling well and went out crime-fighting instead. Miles, apparently, had the same idea. When Felix spotted Magic Bat and when KeyMaster snuck up on them yet again, it suddenly became the first time they had all been out together since Felix confronted them all. He ended up confirming the date Candor and Cara would be coming round but, more importantly, he finally felt like there were no real secrets holding them back, even if Miles and Brenna hadn’t exactly shared their identities with one another yet. It was, at the very least, a good night, even if Felix ended up with a nasty bruise from a particularly eccentric opponent who thought “Halloween” meant “dress up like a skeleton and bash people with real bones.” A good time, nonetheless.

The bruise was still lingering by November 4th, a particular surprise, but definitely not the most important thing to think about that day. After all, everyone had finally gotten together. And, though it wasn’t exactly the best place for clandestine conversations, Felix had gotten the rest to agree to meet up at  _ Popchester’s _ .

Brenna, of course, was there before he was, sipping an iced coffee and chatting lightly with Ross -- who, not very surprisingly, seemed to be the only worker there that day, especially given the cafe was usually empty around this time. Lee came in not long after Felix arrived, somewhat stumbling his way through introducing himself properly to Brenna, who was pretty obviously KeyMaster to someone who was expecting to see KeyMaster, and Ross went back behind the counter to start on Felix’s coffee.

When Miles walked in, Felix wished he’d gotten his phone camera out in time to catch his and Brenna’s moments of realization that they were, in fact, actually both vigilantes. They also both sent slight glares to Felix but he maintained that them not figuring it out wasn’t his fault.

And finally, when Candor and Cara arrived, both looking exhausted and disheveled, Felix had finally completed Step One. And it only took, what, five-and-a-half months?

Felix stood up as they approached their table and, physical affection having grown on him a lot as a concept since he last saw them, greeted them with hugs.

“So, you’re out?” He whispered to Candor while he wrapped his arms around him.

“As much as we can be,” Candor answered. “No clue how they’re gonna react. Wilt’s gonna keep us updated. They still don’t know we can access the outside world.”

Felix nodded and pulled away. “Good. Anyways, this is Miles Barrett, Brenna Soverin, and Lee Haverhill,” he introduced, gesturing to each in turn before turning to face them properly. “Guys, meet Candor and Cara Evans. I’ve sorta mentioned them to each of you.”

Brenna nodded. “You mentioned they were the ones who introduced you to our little predicament.”

“You told  _ me _ they chased you off a building,” Miles snarked, settling his gaze onto Candor. “So, you’re the dude with the wings?”

Brenna frowned. “Wait, did you  _ know _ he had wings when you jumped off the building?”

At Felix’s nod, Lee groaned and pressed his face into his hands. “I don’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed.”

Cara rolled her eyes and pulled another chair up to the table to sit down, Candor following her lead. “If it makes you feel any better, Candor gave him quite the lecture afterward.”

Felix shrugged. “I was in too much pain to really hear it.”

Lee looked like he was about to ask more but Brenna cut him off. “Well, I guess that’s  _ one _ mystery solved. Time to work on the next? Felix mentioned Candor was best at explaining it.”

Candor rose a skeptical eyebrow. “Of course he did.”

“Basically,” Felix explained, “I’ve given them the rundown on meeting you guys, working through my own mental blocks, and how much everything seems to fit with what you told me.”

“And our own gaps,” Miles added in. “Like not remembering when or how exactly we got our, uh, gear.”

Candor nodded. “Well, then, storytime?” Felix nodded for the blonde to continue. “Okay, so, Cara and I were taken in, or maybe just taken, depending, by this organization called Human Enhancement for the Bettering of Society when we were eleven. H.E.B.S. for short. We thought they were curing us of a disease and, in return, we let them, well, experiment on us.”

Felix blinked owlishly. “Wait, so are you guys doubting the whole illness backstory now?”

Cara sighed. “Honestly? We don’t know  _ what _ to think about it. Is it true and just how they find children to experiment on? Did they kidnap and brainwash us? We just don’t know.”

“And, um…” Lee broke in. “You think Felix was a test subject, too?”

Candor shook his head. “Not exactly. His parents worked there and he sorta interned there? Thinking back on it, I’m pretty sure he lived there, too, not with his parents, ‘cause if you wanted to find him in the middle of the night, your best bet was a Chemistry Lab.”

“After we turned thirteen, he became Candor’s new technician,” Cara continued, pulling out her phone and showing several pictures of the three of them to the others as proof. “He basically just monitored his enhancements. That’s how we met him so we’re not sure how long he was there before that.”

Lee turned back to look at Felix. “And you really don’t remember any of it?”

“Not in the slightest,” Felix confirmed. “But I don’t remember anything else either. At least, not clearly. For example, I think I remember having a fourteenth birthday party, but I don’t remember who was there, what we did, what my house looked like, or any presents that I got. Meanwhile, I remember my friend Brody’s last birthday way more clearly. I remember what his family looks like, that they had chocolate cake, that someone got him a new pair of shoes that I’ve never seen him wear. I think that’s the difference between my real memories and my fake ones. There’s detail and emotion to the real ones. And even though my brain used to tell me I had a happy childhood, I couldn’t have told you my happiest moment or what games I played with friends or, well, anything of the like.”

“Oh…” Lee breathed out and Felix was a little worried their warlock might throw up from the expression on his face. “That’s…”

“Not fun,” Felix finished for him.

“Anyway, last winter, there was a fire in the Chemistry Lab,” Candor continued on. “Lots… lots of people died. They told us Felix died with them.”

“We only realized he might still be alive when we heard rumors of a scarf-themed vigilante in Newcoast City, “ Cara went on. “We, well, we weren’t really thinking too hard about why they told us he was dead if he could still be alive or why he’d be hours away. We just rushed to find him and all of us realized something was seriously fucked.”

“So this place,” Miles started, voice lower than usual. “H.E.B.S.? You’re on Felix’s side that it’s sketchy now?”

Candor nodded. “Once we found him, we kept noticing more and more about the facility. Like, well, we haven’t seen our parents in years--”

“--they started giving us combat lessons--”

“--some of our friends were super messed up when it came to memory gaps--”

“--and, well, uh…” Cara trailed off, giving Felix a pitying look. “We finally noticed that your parents weren’t there anymore.”

Felix stiffened up. “You mean my real parents? Did they quit or something?”

Cara shook her head. “Not exactly. Well, I sorta snuck into their records room again -- Mrs. Taggart keeps super detailed physical copies of everything -- and… your mom was listed as dead in the same fire you were.”

“We still don’t know about your dad,” Candor elaborated. “There’s nothing indicating he left the job but… no one’s seen him since January.”

A cold wave rushed through Felix. For so long he’d been so preoccupied with Juliana and Chester  _ not _ being his parents that he’d hardly given a thought to his actual parents. He’d been so preoccupied with his fake memories he never really thought about getting back his real ones. It was a goal, sure, but mostly in regards to Candor and Cara. Never the reality of his childhood. 

Sometimes he thought he was fine not knowing. Sometimes he felt fake. Today, apparently, he was gonna be hit with the latter.

Felix shoved his thought away. “We’ll talk about that more later. Right now, well, where are you guys at?”

Brenna took a long sip of her iced coffee, finishing it off, before saying, “Well, the circumstances line up and you have proof you knew Felix. Any clue about us?”

Candor shrugged. “We couldn’t find anything about the three of you. Then again, we couldn’t find any records about ourselves either. Which is insane because Felix took notes about my wings all the to give to his superior or whatever, so there  _ should _ be files on us. Plus, there’s this one other teen in the facility that only half the others seem to have noticed. So they can definitely mess with our minds about who we know.”

“Felix suggested I look for gaps in time that fit when I got my gear,” Miles added. “Last Spring Break fits perfectly. I don’t know what exactly they might have done to me but I have a few suspicions. I don’t have the same issues with my childhood memories, though. The important ones are still as clear as the day they happened, emotions and all. Plus, I doubt anyone could mess with Jett’s memory and he’s known me since we were, like, eight.”

“Which would imply a catch-and-release system,” Brenna reasoned. “I can’t think of any obvious gaps. Then again, I’m pretty sure my brainwashing was different to Felix’s so maybe they just focused more energy into filling in the gap. My family, though, is definitely my own.”

And Felix now knew why she was so certain. She had, after all, given him her last name. What was he supposed to do?  _ Not _ look it up?

“It  _ is _ curious that the mayor’s daughter might have been temporarily kidnapped,” Felix agreed, eliciting startled jolts form both Miles and Lee.

Brenna shot him a dirty look, though it had no real venom. “Oh, sure, scream it from the rooftops, why don’t you?”

Miles was frowning in bewilderment. “Well, I guess that does explain a few things about you. Does your dad know, then? He endorsed the vigilantes a while back, right?”

Brenna sighed and scowled down at her now-empty coffee. “He doesn’t have a clue. If he did, I highly doubt I’d be allowed to run around in such tight clothing every night.” The idea of anyone, even her actual father, trying to tell KeyMaster what to do was funny enough for Felix to lighten up and let out a small laugh before turning to look at Lee.

“What about you, Magic Hands?” He asked, light-hearted mood instantly evaporating upon noticing the conflicted look on his friend’s face.

“I… I’m not sure,” Lee admitted, not meeting anyone’s gaze. “I guess I haven’t thought about it but… I haven’t talked to any of my family in a long time. I  _ think _ the memories are real but now that you’ve told me what your memories are like, I… I just can’t be sure.”

Felix’s throat ran dry. “Do… do you have any way to contact them to check?”

Lee nodded. “Yeah, um, I have a contact in my phone for my mom. Nobody else.”

Silence washed over the group, Felix taking the time to reorient himself to the situation.

First off, Miles and Brenna were likely the least tampered with, memory-wise, something that was both relieving and somewhat frustrating in Brenna’s case, given that a distinct time-scale for all of them would’ve been nice to have. Second, it was possible Lee had a similar level of memory-wiping that Felix did but they couldn’t prove anything yet. Honestly, Felix didn’t know, in the case of Lee actually calling that contact, if his actual mom would pick up, if some worker from H.E.B.S. would masquerade as his mom, or if there's just be nothing. He didn’t know which would be worst, though the former was obviously best.

Finally, there was a question he had to ask:

“So… what do we do now?”

“We need more information,” Brenna supplied. “For all we know, this is a giant misunderstanding. Likewise, it could all be a purposeful, malicious plot that we’re barely even relevant in. Before we do anything, we need more information.”

“We still have a friend on the inside that’ll share information with us,” Candor assured her. “Wilt’s a bit… foggy, sometimes, but as long as he doesn’t forget how to speak English or how to use a phone, we should be in the clear. H.E.B.S. doesn’t know we have service outside of the facility. Fuck, they don’t even know we have internet. For as weirdly calculated they can be, they also have a few major oversights. Some of which are the reason we’ve managed to sneak out on a regular basis.”

“And what if he gets mind-wiped like Felix did?” Miles questioned, dark eyes boring into the twins as though he had to defend his title of Best Blonde™. “If you lose him, we’ll be in the dark again, right?”

Cara actually giggled at that. “Don’t worry about Wilt. His mind’s an enigma even H.E.B.S. can’t breakthrough.”

“Felix,” Candor cut in. “What about Juliana and Chester?”

Felix winced. “I was hoping you’d have an answer for that one. But… at this point, I think they’re our best bet at figuring out our opponent’s motives. If they’re aware of it, we can assume this is all on purpose. If not, well, they’re undoubtedly brainwashed, too, given they also worked at H.E.B.S. and we can assume we’re either being monitored in some other way or that, whatever this is, it’s more hands-off.”

“We’ll be with you,” Cara announced, reaching over to grab his hand. “I know you won’t want to do this alone and you shouldn’t have to. Plus, I’ve always wondered if Dr. Lovebury was any good in a fight.”

Felix sent a grateful smile back at her. “Then I’ll start working on my flowchart.”

Candor grinned. “You still make flowcharts for future conversations?”

Felix resisted the urge to glance at Miles. “I guess? Was that a thing I did with you guys?”

Cara rolled her eyes. “You once made a flowchart for giving us our birthday presents. One of your paths was labeled  _ Friendship Gets Renounced _ .”

“You only showed us ‘cause Cara begged,” Candor added in, yelping a moment later as Cara -- Felix assumed -- dug her heel into his foot.

“I almost hate that even memory-loss doesn’t change how much of a dork Felix is,” Brenna remarked, getting up from her seat. “Well, if we’ve discussed everything we need to, I’ll take my leave. I have some calendars and data records to root through.”

They all waved her goodbye or, in Miles’ case, gave a thumbs up.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Miles broke in, pointing at the twins. “Where the fuck are you two staying, anyway?”

The look Candor and Cara shared said it all even before Candor managed to admit they were planning on roughing it on the streets.

Lee narrowed his eyes at them. “That’s ridiculous. Listen, how about you two stay with me? My roommate's never around and alternating who sleeps on the floor is a lot better than both of you sleeping in an alleyway in a city where vigilantes are an unfortunately vital part of law enforcement.”

Candor and Cara both looked ready to protest but Felix knew Lee -- knew Magic Bat -- well enough to know he had no reservations about being incredibly stubborn if it meant someone was safer. He was, after all, committing a crime every time he rolled out with them.

“Sounds good,” Felix confirmed for the pair, earning identical glares. “It’s for the best if we stick together wherever possible, anyway. Miles and I go to the same school and you guys already know where Havenden is. It’s perfect.”

Candor sighed. “Fine. And, um, thanks, Lee.”

Lee smiled one of his classic, bubbly smiles at the pair. “Really, it’s no problem!”

And, with that out of the way, Felix had more planning to do.

~

Felix was pretty sure he’d spent the last 48 hours completely awake. It wasn’t exactly a new record for him, and whether that was cool or sad was up for debate, but it still had started to take a toll on his general and mental energy. For example, when trying to throw together a bowl of cereal for breakfast, he had used coffee straight from the pot instead of milk. He hadn’t even noticed until he was halfway through eating that the cereal was hot and all of his marshmallows had dissolved, leaving him milkless and sad. He still finished it, though.

Truly, the worst part was that it didn’t even give him much of an energy boost.

But if planning on confronting Juliana and Chester, keeping in contact with Candor and Cara so that they didn’t go crazy not doing anything while all cooped up in Lee’s dorm, and keeping the other vigilantes in the loop of discussion while still doing his usual crime-fighting meant decreased sleep time, he thought it was more than worth it. And if even when he tried to sleep, he found himself lying in bed for hours, unable to get a wink, that was neither here nor there.

All that being said, it wasn’t a shock that he looked like shit come Wednesday morning. Now, Felix was pretty comfortable with the fact that he always had bags under his eyes, that his white dress shirts were always a bit wrinkled, and that he didn’t exactly scream “brimming with energy.” Still, when he could barely keep his eyes open, his shirt was probably buttoned up wrong, and he yawned every few minutes, he knew he had surpassed his usual level of tiredness.

Which is why, upon reaching his locker at school that morning and beginning to pull out his books, it took him a good few seconds to process someone was standing right next to him, already launched into talking.

“--and there’s also this really cool sushi place down by it. You like sushi, right? Anyway, apparently, it’s decorated with and plays anime movies. You’re into anime, right? You mentioned it last week but you never really talk about it so I’m not sure. It’s still--”

“Brody,” Felix cut his friend off, brain barely processing Brody was  _ there,  _ let alone what he was raving about. “Back up. What are you talking about?”

Brody gave him a resigned smile, one that screamed “you’re ridiculous but I can handle it” and left Felix feeling somewhat attacked. “I’m asking you to skip school with me, dummy.”

Felix narrowed his eyes as he looked around. “Huh. Where’s Jett, then?”

Brody froze, smiling turning wobbly. “Wha-- What  _ about _ Jett?”

Felix tilted his head. “If you’re skipping, isn’t it usually with him?”

Brody definitely tried to look nonchalant but Felix could still see the red rising to his cheeks. “Just because I  _ do _ skip with him,  _ occasionally _ , does not mean I can  _ only _ skip with him. And I don’t even do it that often! He skips alone  _ way _ more often than he does with Miles or I... Can you just agree so we can get going already?”

Felix blinked slowly. “Get going where?”

Brody sighed. “Leaving campus before the bell rings would be a good start. Come on, you can’t tell me you think you’d actually learn anything today, right?”

It was true -- Felix had been planning on napping and going over his flow chart during his classes, not to pay attention. And even then, he was so far behind in some classes that paying attention wouldn’t do him much good. 

And, truth be told, he knew this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Felix tossed his books back into his locker and gave Brody a tired smile. “I’m not that smart.”

Brody smirked. “I absolutely refuse to believe you’ve learned  _ nothing _ from those smarty-pants science books you carry everywhere. Now come on, let’s bounce.”

They ended up mostly just walking around the city and, to his credit, it only took Felix about twenty minutes of purely lighthearted chatting to realize that this was likely an attempt to reconcile somehow. It did, however, take until Brody cut himself off while fretting about Felix’s sleep patterns that Felix realized exactly what his friend was doing.

Brody was trying to prove he would still be there for him even if Felix couldn’t bring himself to open up emotionally. And, fuck, did that sting to realize. Because it meant Brody thought all Felix wanted out of their friendship was lighthearted banter and jovial tones.

Felix kept that realization to himself, though, and he didn’t bring it up with Brody. Because, even if it wasn’t what Felix wanted their friendship to be, it was still a step up from the complete lack of one-on-one conversation they’d maintained since Brody had confronted him. It wasn’t what either of them wanted but it was still a step in the right direction.

So Felix kept smiling, even if it wobbled from exhaustion, kept up his own not-at-all-funny jokes and never, not once, let on that he knew exactly what Brody was trying to do.

By the time they ate lunch at the sushi place Brody had recommended, it had started to rain. Not at all a surprise, considering the fact that “sweater-weather” was year-long in Newcoast City, but something Felix, in his foggy departure from his house that morning, had forgotten to prepare for. He was a bit bummed that his favorite sweater-vest was soaked but Brody -- who would probably wear his flannels in the Arctic if no one slapped any sense into him -- wasn’t exactly much better. And, somehow, knowing that you weren’t the only one with wet socks and jeans made the whole ordeal a million times better.

When they visited  _ Popchester’s _ , Ross didn’t even question why they were so early on a school day. He also, curiously enough, didn’t make any comment about the big meeting Felix had held there just a few days ago to Brody. Felix actually had to take a break from his coffee to wonder if Ross had figured it all out from Felix’s rather depressing attempts to hide his identity or if the barista really didn’t care about whatever Felix and his odd collection of friends discussed.

He figured he didn’t have to worry too much, either way.

By the time the school day was officially over, Brody suggested they go hang out at his house, a place Felix hadn’t been in quite a while. It didn’t matter, though, because he was willing to take any chance to avoid Juliana and Chester, at this point.

And so, by the time they’d gone through five bags of chips, three energy drinks, four hot pockets, and one beer Brody had swiped from the fridge and refused to drink alone -- on account of the fact he thought it tasted disgusting and they should suffer through it together -- it had already passed eight o’clock and Brody suggested Felix spend the night.

Felix instantly agreed, lounging lazily on Brody’s bed. “You know, I don’t think I’ve actually slept over at a friend’s place before. Sounds fun.”

Felix ignored the wince that attacked Brody and sent a quick text to Juliana, not asking but telling her what he was up to, and went back to half-reading a book on the steam engine that belonged to Brody’s mom.

“Hey, Felix,” Brody started off from his desk chair. “Do you still draw? You haven’t been doodling in class recently.”

Felix tore his eyes away from his pilfered reading material and tilted his head. “Oh. No, I guess I haven’t actually drawn in… weeks? Maybe a month or two? I’ve been… distracted, I guess.”

Brody nodded in understanding, as though Felix’s vagueness on the issue gave him any actual insight. “Sounds rough. Maybe getting back into it would help, though? Artistic outlets are pretty good catharsis. Or so Jett’s told me. Did you know he can play the piano? He’s really good.”

Felix grinned. “Oh, does he now? Speaking of Jett, I’ve been meaning to ask: You two are dating, right?”

Brody, at least, managed not to fall out of his chair when he flinched and accidentally hit himself in the shoulder. “I-- No, what? I-- I do  _ not  _ know, in the slightest, why-- why you would even  _ ask _ that because I do  _ not _ have a crush on Jett Oscarr Powell. Not at all. And I would  _ never _ date him. Plus, there’s  _ no  _ chance he would ever think of  _ me _ like that--”

Felix whistled. “You know his middle name? Dude, you’ve got it  _ bad _ .”

Brody deflated, hands sinking into his hair as he stared at the floor, groaning in defeat. “I’ve got it  _ worse _ than bad, Felix. He’s just-- God, as if he wasn’t already super badass and hot looking, he’s so  _ nice _ and  _ smart _ and all I wanna do is kiss him while he whispers theories about KeyMaster’s identity to me.”

Felix’s brows shot up, forcing himself not to imagine how Brenna would react to that statement. “Oh. That’s… an interesting way to describe it. I’m not really shocked, though -- you’ve been breathless over him since you spotted him at Staples, right?”

Brody whipped his head up and met Felix’s gaze. “I… thought you didn’t know who I was talking about that day? You never mentioned it after we met Jett at school.”

Felix shrugged. “I didn’t but apparently you have a thing for the whole black-hair, blue-eye combo so it wasn’t too much of a stretch. Thinking back on it, you immediately clammed up when he introduced himself so it makes more sense if you already liked him a bit.”

Brody’s face was red enough that Felix actually worried a little if the rest of his body was getting enough blood. “Oh. I didn’t know I was that obvious. I mean, Ash said I was but they’re also, like, really good at reading emotions so I thought maybe not everyone knew.”

“If it helps,” Felix consoled, “I’m pretty sure Miles has no fucking clue you and Jett have gotten so close, let alone that you have feelings for each other.”

Brody nodded. “That does actually make me feel-- Wait, what do you mean  _ each other _ ?!”

Felix rolled his eyes and smirked. “Listen, I can’t say anything for certain but Jett definitely gets more touchy with you than he does even with his best friend. You lean on his shoulder all the time, Brody, and he doesn’t exactly mind. If nothing else, he’s fond of you.”

“Oh…” Brody breathed out. “Yeah. Right. I guess that, um, makes sense… Do you… do you think he knows I like him?”

Felix gave another shrug. “I know he seems pretty casual but he’s actually pretty smart, right? If he can read teachers well enough to blackmail them, I wouldn’t be surprised if he knew. But!” He added on when Brody looked about ready to die of embarrassment. “If he does know, he hasn’t exactly done anything to discourage you, right? Honestly, you should just go for it.”

Brody took a deep breath, letting himself calm down. “Easy for  _ you _ to say.  _ I _ have to actually do it. And I’m not what you’d call a Confession Expert. Last time I actually tried asking someone out, I ended up implying her mom was, like, my deity. It was awful.”

Felix snickered. “Okay, pro tip, don’t do that.”

“No shit, Shorty--”

“Oh, God, it’s spreading.”

“--but if we’re gonna keep this going, what’s up with you and Miles?”

Felix froze as his brain processed the question. “Um… what?”

Brody rolled his eyes. “I may have spent the last few months drooling over Jett but I’m not blind, Felix. You guys are always running off together and sharing these little looks. And don’t act like you actually invited him over for  _ fashion advice _ last month. That was way too specific and you didn’t change your style at all.”

Okay. In retrospect, he and Miles  _ had _ been acting pretty suspicious for the majority of the school year thus far. Still, that didn’t mean he and Miles were involved in any way other than platonic. He was missing something.

“Sure, we’ve gotten pretty close,” Felix conceded, “but that doesn’t mean there’s anything romantic, right?”

Brody rose an eyebrow. “Not by itself. But, well, Jett knows Miles pretty well. He talks a  _ lot _ about how happy you make him. Apparently, Miles is way more gloomy and edgy when you’re not around which, honestly, is a side of him I’m fine never seeing cause he’s already pretty terrifying. Whatever’s up with you two, it’s special.”

Briefly, Felix’s thoughts flickered back to Miles looking into his eyes and trying his best to convince him that he wasn’t broken. He thought back to Dark Gunner offering him a gummy worm before proceeding to interrogate him about Crimson Coast. He remembered all the moments he’d felt like he wasn’t the only lost kid, in over his own head, just because Miles Barrett was there to confirm he wasn’t alone.

Brody was right. Whatever he and Miles were to one another, it was special. But it was special in the same way his relationships with Brenna and Lee were. They were built on being the only people they knew who could fully relate to each other, who understood exactly what he was going through because they had all the same issues. The times when KeyMaster’s cold attitude had fallen away to reveal her own emotional instability, the times Magic Bat had effortlessly said the exact words Felix needed to hear, and all the times they’d proven to one another that what they had was more than the casual collaboration they’d started it as. 

All the times they’d proven to Felix that this sort of life was better spent with others than alone and that he was insane for ever trying to avoid meeting the other vigilantes of his city.

“I’ll… keep that in mind,” Felix finally replied, trying to calm his racing thoughts. “Anyway, you mentioned something about Magic Bat earlier?”

And, as Brody spent the next twenty minutes raving about the newest theories Felix had apparently missed and how he’d been collaborating with Jade to organize the community on Watcher’s Watch to be more streamlined, Felix absentmindedly considered that, while what he had with the other vigilantes was definitely special in a way he couldn’t fully put into words, he’d be a fool to underestimate what he had with Brody Warren.

_ And _ , he wondered, _ how on Earth am I going to convince my best friend I know that? _


	23. [Rules Change But People Don’t]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ~ a n x i e t y ~

“...if that’s the case, we depart to Route D, wherein we’ll have to knock them out or otherwise incapacitate them…”

“Felix.”

“Hopefully it won’t come to that, though, but you know, safety first. Moving on from there…”

“Felix, dude.”

“...we’ll lowkey go back to Step One of Route C… no wait, shit. Should we just jump to Route C Step 2B in that case? Fuck, I can’t believe I didn’t catch that sooner.”

“Felix!”

Felix blinked and looked up with a jolt, pencil frozen in the middle of redrawing an arrow. “What is it? Is everything okay? Do you have a question?”

His friends -- that is, his vigilanting companions plus Candor and Cara -- were all looking back at him from their spot in his now-cramped room with concern etched across their faces.

Nobody spoke for a tense moment.

Lee was the first to break the silence, tentatively reaching over and taking away Felix’s pencil. “Felix, we’re super proud you managed to put this all together, but if you don’t take a breather and calm down, you’re gonna break skin.”

Well, that was a weird metaphor.

Then Felix followed Lee’s gaze to his own left hand, clutched tightly into a fist, knuckles white and-- oh. Right. He released his grip to see several crescent shapes indented into his palm.

“Ah,” he remarked, as eloquently as his tongue would allow. “Well, um, you guys got the plan down, then? I know half of you are better at improvising anyway but this is--”

“Really important, we know,” Brenna assured him. “We’ll do our part but Lee's right.”

Lee smiled softly. “See? Listen to the adult here. Breathe.”

_ “You winced when he said that,” _ Flex snarked.

Felix frowned and crossed his arms. “No, I didn’t.”

_ “Kid, I’m wrapped around your waist. I could feel it,” _ Flex argued back, admittedly correct. Felix would never relent to that, though.

It was truly a marker of how far they’d come that not even for a second did anybody in the room look confused as to who he was talking to.

Felix did comply, though, taking a few deep, steadying breaths. It didn’t really help but, if it made Lee feel better, it was definitely worth doing. 

Cara was the next to speak up, moving closer to get a better look at the flowchart residing in his sketchbook. “So… Candor and I bring out the evidence in Route A Step Four, right?”

“Yupp,” Felix confirmed, resisting the urge to double-check with the chart itself. “That would the birth certificate, photos you guys took of us, death cer--”

Candor clamped a hand on his shoulder, effectively silencing him, and smiled reassuringly. “Felix. We got it. Whenever you need us, we’ll be ready.”

With a sigh, Felix accepted the comfort, though he did wonder if his friends would make the link between tall people calming him down -- a fate he desperately wished to avoid.

“Okay,” he breathed out, letting his tense shoulders slump down. “Okay.”

Today was the day they were going to confront Juliana and Chester. It wouldn’t be long before they either had new allies or all-new complications.

Felix was, simply put, scared shitless.

He was prepared, sure. He  _ knew _ he was prepared. He’d done all he could, thinking through the most likely scenarios and prepping his friends accordingly. Since the brief reprieve Brody had given him last Wednesday, he’d been thinking about it nonstop. He was prepared.

But now it was a Monday again and they were  _ doing this _ and he really, really didn’t want things to go badly. Maybe it was selfish and counterproductive, but Felix hoped, more than anything, that Juliana and Chester were as clueless as he had been. At least then, not every part of his life would have been a lie.

He was prepared… but now there was no turning back and he was terrified.

Felix briefly considered making a pot of coffee in advance before the telltale sound of the front door and somewhat muffled discussion crossed the threshold into the house.

_ “It’s go time,” _ Flex announced, confirming what he’d already known. 

Felix nodded anyway. “Yeah, okay. Miles, with me. Wait in the hallway 'till I call you in. The rest of you--”

“We know our signals,” Brenna cut him off. “Go, dork.”

Felix smiled at the group with gratitude as Miles yanked him out of the room.

Peeking out from the hallway, Felix saw Juliana and Chester in the living room. Chester was tidying up some papers that had been scattered all across the floor -- though Felix knew they hadn’t been there earlier so it was easy to assume Chester had dropped them as well. Juliana herself had immediately collapsed on the couch, shoes kicked off and head flopped back, eyes closed tightly, as though she were trying to shut out even her own thoughts.

Felix cleared his throat and stepped forward, leaving Miles behind in the hall. “Come on, the neighbors aren’t  _ that _ bad.”

“Kid,” Juliana greeted from the couch, not bothering to look at him. “Don’t even try.”

Chester seemed to take the conversation as an excuse to stop tidying up. “Normally, I’d argue, but it actually was pretty awful. Never been intimidated by a toddler before…”

Juliana gestured wildly with her hands. “Demons. I swear. God, I hate children.”

“That include me?” Felix joked as he cautiously moved a few steps forward.

Juliana laughed a little but didn’t respond fully. It was a normal enough response and Chester himself had gotten distracted again. They weren’t acting abnormal in the slightest. 

“Umm…” Felix drew out with a practiced uncertainty. “I actually… well, I hope it’s okay that I have a friend over right now?”

_ That _ got their attention. Juliana’s eyes shot open with curiosity.

Chester, meanwhile, rose an eyebrow. “You say that like it’s not Brody.”

“It’s not,” Felix confirmed with a roll of his eyes. “I  _ do _ have more than one friend, you know.”

“Really now?” Juliana mocked, though there was no bite or cruelty to her words. “And where is this friend?”

Right on cue, Miles poked his head out from the hallway and stuttered out, “Felix, um, asked me to hide while he... greeted you?”

Felix frowned at the blonde’s poor delivery but decided not to focus on it, zeroing in on Juliana and Chester’s reactions instead.

Both looked more amused than shocked -- which wasn’t a reaction Felix had been expecting at all, given his reputation for isolationism, but that was still a little comforting. Most crucially, no recognition had cropped up in their eyes yet.

“This is Miles Barrett,” Felix introduced with a loose hand gesture. “He’s in my PE class… sorta. But that’s not important.”

Miles came to stand firmly at his side while he took in the pairs' reactions. Still no recognition. Chester simply offered a “hello” while Juliana threw him a tired wave.

This was still normal, somehow. They could do this.

Felix proceeded with Route A.

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask for permission for him to come over--” he worked in a slight, nervous tremble to his voice, which wasn’t exactly hard to do, “--you always seem fine when Brody just pops in so--”

“Felix,” Chester interrupted, shaking his head slightly, a casual smile on his lips. “You’re not grounded. You don’t need permission to see your friends.”

Felix nodded. “So… you wouldn’t mind if I also had more people than Miles over?”

Miles, hands hidden in his hoodie pocket, presumably sent the correct text.

Juliana finally drew herself up into a sitting position. “Do you?”

Felix nodded and, right on cue -- a fuck did he love them for their perfect timing right now -- Brenna and Lee came ‘round the corner. Lee was a bit more awkward about it, stumbling a little and ducking his head in an embarrassed greeting while Brenna walked out with utmost confidence, though Felix didn’t miss the way her hand rested tensely on her key necklace.

As his friends introduced themselves, Felix kept quiet and watched Juliana and Chester. They seemed a little confused about the scenario, which Felix could easily admit was a bit odd -- but were overall their usual selves.

Chester even brightened up when he saw Lee’s shirt -- a white torso with black bats and black, long sleeves -- and complimented it, looking only the correct amount of confused when both Lee and Miles muttered a “thanks”. (Felix was also confused but that wasn’t relevant right now.)

Their reactions were normal and it almost killed Felix because it was all he’d been hoping for. 

But it wasn’t enough yet.

“I was only slow to introduce them,” Felix explained, coming to stand in front of his friends, “because I was worried you might recognize one of them and act rashly.”

Juliana gave a laugh. “Felix, I’m not gonna punish you for befriending one of my students.”

Chester frowned. “I think he was referring to the mayors’ daughter.”

Juliana twisted around to face Chester. “The who-now?”

Felix sighed heavily. “That’s… reassuring, but not what I meant.”

The duo turned to face him, questions written across their features, but seemed to sense he still had more to say as they stayed silent.

He’d made it to Route A Step Two. He didn’t know whether to be grateful or terrified.

But he’d done scarier things than speak. He could do this.

“Juliana,” he addressed the woman, shocking her with the use of her name. “You once told me you thought the vigilantes were dumb for risking their lives all the time.”

“And I stand by it,” Juliana replied, leaning towards him, dark eyes narrowed. “...but what does this have to do with your friends? Did you four piss someone off in the city?”

Felix blinked. “I mean, yeah, but that’s not what I was getting at. I actually have something to confess… I  _ had  _ thought about what could happen before but I’d always considered it a worthwhile risk. That was… a different time and I have different excuses now but… well, at the time, I never wanted you guys to worry. Now, I really,  _ really _ do.”

“You… want us to worry about the vigilantes?” Chester asked, nose scrunched up and looking rather bewildered. “Am I not following this right? What are you saying?”

“What I’m saying is,” Felix’s breath caught in his throat as he squared his shoulders proudly, “that I’m sorry everyone thinks I’m a malnourished adult. I swear I  _ do _ eat.”

Miles coughed. Felix elbowed him in the side. Lee stepped back and hid his face in his hands, hunching down as if to make himself small.

“Felix,” Brenna groaned, clutching her necklace like it was a feral cat. “I’ve humored you before but coffee isn’t actually a food group. And one serving leftover Chinese food isn’t enough to keep you going all night.”

Felix grinned at her, picking up on the clue she’d dropped. “You sound so certain but I managed fine before you guys showed up with all your snacks.”

Lee returned from his...  _ hiding place _ and straightened up, leveled a surprisingly harsh glare at Felix and asked, “Wait, are you saying you only started getting snacks when we showed up?”

“That’s… not important right now,” Felix stammered out, certain his friends would just press him about it later anyway, and returned his full attention back to Juliana and Chester’s reactions. “What  _ is _ important is whether or not you guys are picking up the hints or if I’m just gonna have to spit it out.”

Juliana and Chester shared an alarmed expression with one another, seeming to agree that Juliana was better suited to ask, given the way Chester immediately slumped his shoulders.

“Felix, kiddo,” she spoke levelly, eyebrows twitching as though she was struggling to not frown. “I don’t know if this is some weird prank or-- What are you doing?!”

Felix sighed and continued shrugging off his light sweater -- he really should have gone for a cardigan, all things considered -- before undoing a few buttons on his dress shirt and tugging Flex out from around his waist.

Juliana froze, eyes wide. Felix didn’t blame her. If  _ he _ knew nothing, he’d have no clue what to make of this situation either.

Chester, on the other hand…

“Holy shit, Felix!” The man exclaimed, the shock and tension that had taken hold of Juliana apparently having no hold over him. “That’s Scarfboy’s, ah, scarf… right?”

Felix couldn’t help it -- he groaned and ran an exhausted hand through his hair. “After all the trouble I went through getting to Jade, people  _ still _ don’t respect the new name. It’s GLITCH now, dude. All capitals. Way cooler.  _ Please  _ use it.”

Whatever delayed realization Chester was experiencing had to have finally set in as confusion and dread dawned in his eyes. “Felix… why do you have that?”

Juliana still hadn’t spoken.

And Felix had a hard time breathing for a moment because it was looking more and more like they were in denial of something rather obvious and all he wanted was for the resistance to be real rather than acted. A genuine sign of brainwashing instead of thought-out lying. 

Brainwashing, they could deal with. They could break it. If this was just an extremely well put-together farce… well, Miles has, like, twenty knives on him at all times. That was the premise of Route C, actually.

Felix took a deep breath and a step forward, letting Flex snake his way up to his shoulders -- the independent movement of which cementing the scarf as the real deal -- and rebuttoned his shirt. “This is Flex. He’s a friend of mine. The reason he’s here with us right now is because there are things you should know and… and I’m sorry that I lied to you about this.”

Juliana’s eyes sharpened into a glare. “This isn’t funny, Felix.”

“With all luck, you’re not thinking clearly, Juliana,” Felix responded softly, letting the use of her name speak for itself, trying not to feel guilty as she flinched.

“But-- But you can’t be a vigilante, Felix!” She stressed, swiveling over to Chester for support. 

Except Chester had stumbled down into his favorite chair, eyes locked on the floor, contemplation marking his features.

Miles, behind him, coughed. “God, I remember when  _ I _ thought that.”

“Can’t relate,” Felix teased back despite himself, sending a small grin at the blonde.

Miles frowned. “What?”

There was no time for jokes that would inevitably give his secrets away, though, so he winked at Miles and turned around. The situation was looking up, after all. The next step required Candor and Cara.

“You  _ can’t  _ be a vigilante, Felix… We would know if you were…” Juliana whispered, features drawn tight, before she looked back up at him, eyes widening. “How did we not  _ know _ ?”

“Your friends,” Chester spoke, voice drained of any denial, filled with exhaustion and understanding instead. “They fit the profiles of the other vigilantes.”

“Are we that obvious?” Lee asked quietly.

Brenna scoffed. “You’re fine. Miles, however…”

“Yeah,” Felix confirmed. “I sure hope they do. The police can only be so bad at investigating us, right? Kinda worrying otherwise… So, you guys believe me?”

Juliana let out a harsh laugh. “Believe y-- What else are we supposed to do? What else  _ can _ we do? God, Felix, I swear if this is some elaborate prank, you’re gonna be grounded for a month.”

“What you can do is keep your ears open,” Felix suggested as Miles tapped his shoulder. “This… There’s more you need to know.”

“They’re clear, then?” Came Candor’s voice from the hallway, moments before he and Cara sauntered into the now somewhat crowded living room. 

Felix tore his eyes away from Juliana and Chester -- showing clear confusion, horror, and a significant lack of recognition regarding the Evans’ twins -- and nodded. “Yeah. I think they’re really as lost as the rest of us.”

While Cara cautiously took a seat beside Juliana on the couch, folder and phone in hand, Candor clapped a hand on Felix’s shoulder and offered a brief, strained smile. “We’ll handle it from here. You should take a breather.”

Felix frowned. “What? I can’t just leave.”

“You’re shaking, Shorty,” Miles interrupted, stealing Felix away from Candor while the taller blonde unwound Flex from his shoulders in a suspiciously coordinated move. “Let’s get you some coffee before you start crying.”

“I’m not--” Felix began to protest before abruptly shutting up, staring down at his hands that were, indeed, shaking. “Oh.”

Maybe a breather was a good idea, actually.

With that, he let himself be led away into the kitchen, Miles’ shoving him down into a chair at the dining table before scrounging around for coffee fixings. 

“You planned that,” Felix accused, not daring to stand up and help the blonde. “You didn’t do that today. When?”

Miles coughed as he set up the coffee maker. “Got his number from Lee. I hope you know those two hardly talk about anything but you. Apparently, they know how you get with your flow charts -- knew your nerves would get to you by the end.”

“Ah, yeah, that makes sense,” Felix admitted, taking a deep breath and calming himself down out of spite. “That was what kept me awake at night, back in the day… well, like, five months ago. I’d never met them before but they knew me inside and out. With a few minor discrepancies, of course.”

Miles plopped down in the chair in front of him, lips curved up. “Of course. Speaking of planning, though…”

When the blonde trailed off, Felix gave a slight snicker. “What?”

“It’s just…” Miles continued, forest green eyes snapping up to meet Felix’s. “You were really good at all that. All the lying and nudging the conversation. Reminded me of Jett, honestly. I’ve just always thought you were pretty shitty at lying.”

Felix choked down the vague fear at that line of questioning. “No no no.  _ You’re _ shitty at lying. I just can’t think in the moment. You’ve caught me on my bluffs a few times but that’s just because I came up with them in the moment. Strategy, though, I can typically stick the landing on. Vigilante justice really refines your acting skills, too.”

Miles’ eyes didn't lighten in intensity. In fact, his brows furrowed, shading them further. “Felix… how long did you--”

“Beanie-Baby,” Felix interrupted, silencing Miles with the abnormal use of the vigilante nickname. “I have never lied to you about anything important and certainly not about anything you haven’t lied right back about. Every heartwarming, mushy, and overly-sappy thing I’ve said has come straight from my heart, sometimes more so than I’d wanted. The slip-ups and overcorrections… they’re not important anymore.”

Miles stared at him, eyes wide, before his lips broke out into a wide -- if slightly wobbly -- grin. “So how long did you know, exactly?”

Felix laughed nervously. “Oh! Sounds like the coffee’s done. Coffee is good, don't you think?”

And so Felix continued on, preparing a total of eight mugs of coffee for the group, blabbering on about the drink’s grand quality in order to avoid the actual question, hoping Candor and the rest of the group truly had a handle on explaining everything to Juliana and Chester.

There was a second pot of coffee brewing by the time Lee came by and asked them to come back in, not waiting to be asked to help with the coffee. Felix took a deep breath, gathered a few mugs himself, and followed.

Things had changed in the living room. Cara was now sitting next to Juliana on the couch, who seemed to have curled up on herself. Candor was still standing, now closer to Chester, folders of proof laid out on the coffee table. Brenna had moved to stand by the front door, hand no longer tensed around her necklace but still visibly on guard, though Felix couldn’t infer from what.

As soon as Felix set the coffee down and took a sip of his own -- this situation required a major caffeine high -- Chester cleared his throat.

“They said--” Chester’s voice hitched.“They said they approached you at the start of summer. You’ve known since then?” 

Felix winced. “Not quite. It got to me a bit but I didn’t really accept it ‘till… uh…”

“End of August,” Brenna chimed in.

“Yeah! Aug… How do  _ you _ know?”

“I do pay attention, Shorty.”

“Not important,” Candor cut them off.

Felix took another deep sip. “Right. Sorry. So you… believe us?”

Chester gave a full-bodied shudder. “Don’t have a choice. You guys have your evidence. I don’t like it --  _ any  _ of it -- but… God, I wish I could  _ argue _ .”

Felix nodded, understanding the sentiment all too well, before gazing over at Juliana. “What--” 

“I’m fine,” Juliana barked, eyes briefly lifting to meet Felix’s before falling down to her knees again. “I’m… I’m fine. If you kids are fine, I’m fine too.”

Felix sighed and took another sip. “We’re not fine, either. I’m sorry we broke it to you guys so rough but… we need you and I couldn’t risk you thinking I was lying or going crazy.”

“Need us?” Chester asked quietly. “What for? I couldn’t even figure out I was only twenty-seven. What can we do?”

“You’re adults,” Miles snapped from behind Felix. “Sure, we have Lee, but he’s not stable in the way you two are. Not to mention  _ any _ ally is a good one, at this point.”

“You have some skill with tech, Chester,” Brenna added in. “Actual experience instead of Felix’s instinct. And Juliana, your job is advantageous in terms of gathering any additional scientific research.”

“Felix cares about you two,” Lee said, smiling brightly behind his mug of coffee. 

Felix himself was caught between thanking and glaring at his friends but addressed his fake-parents nonetheless. “You deserve to know. If I was in your position and you knew first, I’d want you to tell me. It’s as simple as that. Are you two okay to move on?”

Chester’s frown deepened. “Move on?”

The rest of his friends shot him curious looks as well. Right. He’d only mentioned this bit to Flex in the preparation process. Oh well.

Felix nodded and collected Flex from Candor, the scarf quickly tightening around his shoulders. “Yeah. Sorry to cut this short but there’s more to discuss. So… Flex and I have been doing some-- You did explain Flex, right?”

Cara shrugged. “A bit? We don’t understand it as well as you do.”

_ “Chester’s probably going to dissect me later,” _ Flex added in.

“Unless you’re alive enough for it to be a vivisection,” Felix argued before refocusing. “Okay, so, research. We were discussing the whole brainwashing thing and the actual specifics of it started making less and less sense because, well, we’re pretty sure whatever H.E.B.S did to us alongside the other… um, experiments… should be pretty impossible.”

Brenna made a small humming noise. “I was curious about that, too. What’s your theory?”

_ “Of course she got there before we did,”  _ Flex made a sighing noise.

“Well…” Felix drawled. “I think I can test this and I won't be sure until then but… It kinda feels like they removed whole memories from us instead of just compelling us not to think about them. If it  _ was _ just compulsion, shouldn’t we have remembered everything when we broke the compulsion? It has to be something else and I don’t know how they’d do it without some tech.”

Miles coughed, though he clearly wasn’t hiding a laugh. “So you think they’ve got some sort of memory-wiping machine?”

Felix shook his head and took a final gulp of his coffee, setting the mug down. “Not quite. Machine, sure, but not one that they strapped us into or anything. More like… it’s possible that there's some sort of tech inside of us. Probably connected to the memory centers of our brains. We know it’s possible because… because of what they did to me. They  _ can _ integrate tech with our own natural biology. Who knows how complex my eyes are? Surely they could manage something to hide our memories.”

Lee’s face lit up. “And if it’s technology…”

“He can vibe with it,” Miles finished.

Juliana fully uncurled and sat up straight. “Your powers?”

“Yup. I can’t test it on myself, though,” Felix continued explaining. “I’ve tried interacting with my synthetic stuff before and it just… doesn’t work. Maybe I’m always interacting with it so I can’t manipulate it. Either way… Any volunteers? Not you, Lee.”

“What? Why?” Their warlock protested, crossing his arms in a huff.

“Because I knew you’d volunteer out of the sheer goodness of your heart and not consider any possible consequences and it pissed me off so… not you,” Felix reasoned, crossing his arms right on back at his friend.

“Consequences don’t matter,” Chester spoke up, shocking Felix out of his and Lee’s squabble. “Test it on me.”

Felix blinked. “Uh… are you sure?”

Chester nodded. “Hey, apparently I’m twenty-fucking-seven. I’m  _ supposed _ to still be making dumb decisions that could impact the rest of my life going forward. You kids have done enough. Gathering info on tech is  _ my _ thing.”

And  _ that _ , that was so quintessentially Chester that it finally felt like Felix wasn’t going to completely lose his family thanks to this. How could he say no?

“I…” Felix choked out, only barely managing to hold himself together because  _ dammit _ he was becoming a huge crybaby recently. “Yeah, okay. Stay, uh, seated, I guess.”

“You sure you know how to do this?” Candor checked in as Felix leaned over to touch Chester’s head.

Felix rolled his eyes. “Since when did not knowing how to do something ever stop me?”

Candor sighed. “Fair enough.”

And  _ there _ was Miles’ holding-back-a-laugh cough. Good.

Felix took a deep breath and closed his eyes, reaching out past the electronic hum of the room and felt for whatever could be hidden behind Chester’s flesh. It took a few seconds to locate but there was, actually, some odd pulse coming from within Chester’s head. Felix paused a moment, questioning whether or not it was possible he could just sense brain waves, before pressing on.

It was a small thing, buried in the prefrontal cortex, emitting a sort of constant, quick pulse. Small though it was, it felt… wrong. Stiff. It wasn't like the house’s WiFi, which felt ever-present and yet airy; light. It wasn’t like the electricity that flowed into lamps and streetlights, which felt strong yet controlled. This was stiff and slimy. Electronic locks were like light switches. This was like a tripwire and it was already activated.

Breaking the connection, Felix stumbled back, bumping against Candor, the blonde immediately helping to steady him.. “That-- There-- Holy shit. There’s really something there.”

“And it’s blocking his memories? Can you turn it off?” Brenna asked quickly.

There was a whining noise Felix refused to believe came from his own throat. “Didn’t quite get there yet… Did you feel anything weird while I was searching, Chester?”

Chester winced. “No, I didn't.”

Gearing himself up, Felix shook himself out of Candor’s grip. “Okay. Let me try to see if I can, I don’t know, block the signal or something. At the very least, I can figure out how it works.”

Chester nodded and just like that, Felix reached out again.

Finding his way back was easier. The thing was unique, after all. The pulse was the first thing Felix investigated, tracing its pattern. It was quick enough that there was never really a gap in its coverage of the brain, though it seemed a little different with each pulse. Concluding that the pulse must be the thing affecting their memory, Felix moved onto the main body.

It was really not much more than a microchip, integrated into the brain and running just one command. It seemed so confusingly simple at first glance that it took Felix an embarrassingly long amount of time to notice the encryption. Still, encryption was easy to bypass. Or, at least, it was easier for Felix than anyone else. After a few minutes, in which he was certain he started to hear murmurs from his friends that threatened to distract him, he managed to take a peek into the system.

“It’s blocking memory recall,” he announced while still investigating and he was sure his words came out a little slurred. “There’s just this constant pulse and it knows which signals to block.”

“Can you turn it off?” Someone asked. The voice sounded female. It was probably Brenna.

“I-- maybe if I…” Felix stuttered out, once again imagining a tripwire. “Not for long.”

“Do it.” That was closer. Chester, then.

Felix drew in a breath and dug into the chip, feeling as though he was holding open a door five-times his weight.

Chester gasped and squirmed. “Oh, crap, that--”

“Are you alright?” Juliana? Or was it Cara? 

“Fine. Just… it’s a lot.”

“So you remember?” That sounded like Candor.

“I-- kinda? It’s so much, I can't really... focus.”

“Try thinking about last year.” Cara? Or maybe Brenna?

“Last-- There’s a-- a-- a lab? I spent a lot of time working. Juliana’s there.”

“Anything that can actually help us? Secret files? Motives?” That one was definitely from a blonde but Felix didn’t know which one. Maybe there were too many of them.

“Not really. There… the fire. That’s the most recent memory. Before that was a lot of work and planning and… Felix had freckles.”

“This is getting nowhere…” That was a guy’s voice, Felix was pretty sure.

“Felix, maybe you should stop now…” Another guy. Soft.

_ “Kid! Let go!” _

It was Flex’s voice, resounding through his head clearer than any other, that snapped him out of his haze, tumbling backward and sinking to the floor.

Chester let out a grunt. “Oh, that’s gonna be one hell of a headache…”

“Can you still remember any of it?” Candor asked.

“No… I remember what I said but the memories themselves are gone again.”

“The memories of talking about it are too different for the pulse to evolve with,” Felix breathed out, feeling his core lose strength only a second before he sunk from sitting to lying down.

“Felix! Are you okay?” That sounded like Cara. 

“Fine,” Felix confirmed, a yawn overtaking him before he could continue. “Jus’ tired.”

_ “After all that coffee?” _

“That must’ve taken a lot out of him. Maybe we should...”

And then Felix fell asleep quickly for the first time in months.

~

When Felix woke up, he was grounded. Well, sorta.

The group had gone on to discuss things without him, apparently, setting him up in his room -- Brenna made sure to mention how easy it was to carry him -- and made a few key decisions.

First, that they’d made Felix promise, upon waking up, to never go digging around in their brain chips without an adult present. Lee was not counted as an adult in this decision, likely because he didn’t want Felix passing out around him period. Felix had no real qualms with this.

Second, Juliana somehow managed to convince Lee to let Candor and Cara stay with them, citing the fact that they had a spare bedroom and couches while Lee hardly had enough space for himself. Given how unrelenting Lee had initially been about the matter, Felix could never fathom how they swung this.

Third, he was grounded. Again, sorta. More specifically, Juliana and Chester expected Felix to keep them updated about his whereabouts and physical condition. Brenna apparently convinced them not to give him a curfew, which Felix made sure to subtly thank her for later.

In the end, Felix didn’t really care that he’d been left out of the discussion or even that he’d been grounded. He was too relieved that Juliana and Chester were not only on their side but still thought fit to act like his parents to complain.

It was a bit tedious once he actually started abiding by their rules, though. That was undeniable.

Within the next week, the amount of times Juliana threatened to take him to the hospital was a little overwhelming. Evidently, knowing that a small teenage boy had enhanced healing didn’t actually make seeing the bruises and blood any easier. Who would’ve guessed?

Felix had been allowed to try digging into the chips again a few days later, his test subject this time being a grumpy Miles. Fortunately, he didn’t pass out again. Unfortunately, he never got deep enough  _ to _ pass out. He had sat there, hand pressed into Miles’ hair for a total of twenty minutes, and he still couldn’t fight his way past the encryption. It was wild and frustrating and oh so annoying. Eventually, Flex had pulled him back again and he was forced to relent, conceding that maybe the kids who’d been more actively messed with had stronger programming. 

When the pair had stormed into  _ Popchester’s _ less than an hour later, even Ross didn’t dare ask about their moods.

About a week after that, Thanksgiving arrived.

Felix had spent the majority of the school break to do further research with Chester into the tech hiding their memories. Chester seemed to be onto something but wasn’t ready to conclude anything yet nor was he sharing his thoughts with Felix.

But Chester was working today so there was nobody to discuss it with. Candor and Cara were surprisingly respectful of his personal space and alone time given the fact that they now lived with him, but they had gone off to chat with Juliana, who was holed-up grading projects at Havenden university.

Brenna was busy with her own family celebrations. Granted, she’d been complaining all week about the upcoming dinner but the point stood that she hadn’t found a way out of it. Miles, too, had plans, though he was apparently spending the day with Jett and Brody’s family.

Felix had also been invited to that, but Brody had never met Lee, who didn’t have anything going on today, so Felix declined. He’d been missing his one-on-one time with Lee anyway.

A pot of coffee was made in preparation and stored in a few thermoses in Felix’s messenger bag, tucked in alongside a disgruntled Flex who had grown to prefer Felix’s waist over the bag when they were out in public. It was a colder day so Felix happily went all-out on his layers, his favorite sweater-vest paired with a gigantic black coat. At this point, he was seriously considering buying a non-vigilanting scarf for actual fashion purposes but had held back so far in case it made Flex jealous or something.

Lee was waiting for him outside Havenden’s library, somehow wearing equally baggy clothing despite his height. Felix couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of several pins depicting bats adorning Lee’s jacket as he passed over a thermos.

“So…” Felix drawled, making a point to keep the suspense building by taking a long sip of his own coffee. “Where to? We’ve got the whole city at our disposal.”

Lee shrugged, offering an apologetic smile. “No clue. Honestly, I don’t see much of the city in the daytime and I hardly ever visit somewhere at my leisure, ya know?”

“Fair enough,” Felix replied with a grin. “In that case, you up for some stray cats?”

Lee’s expression turned skeptical at that. “Why does everything you mention make me feel like you’ve gotten hurt doing it?”

“Hey!” Felix absolutely didn’t squeak out in protest. “Nerd’s Honor: I’ve never gotten into a fight with a stray cat. Now, if we were discussing raccoons--”

Lee groaned and started walking. “Please, Felix, I can’t handle knowing that you sprained your ankle fighting a raccoon for the last pastry in a dumpster or something else crazy like that.”

Felix froze and felt cold sweat trickle down his neck. “Anyway--”

“You  _ didn’t _ \--”

“I never said I did!”

Lee laughed, clear and airy and mocking. “Felix, one of these days you’re really gonna break me. Now come on, show me some stray cats.”

Felix let out a strained chuckle and started walking, leading the way. “Right.”

“So… how’ve the new rules been?” Lee asked.

Felix rolled his eyes. “Awful. Terrible. Can you believe I actually got scolded for not eating a midnight snack a few nights ago? One of you is ratting me out to the twins, I just know it.”

“Probably Miles,” Lee pointed out. “You really know how to collect overprotective blondes.”

Felix sent Lee a light glare. “Oh, don’t act like you and Brenna aren’t just as bad.”

“I have absolutely no clue what you mean.”

“Some days, I regret teaching you how to be funny.”

“Some days, I regret that you still haven't finished JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure.”

“Oh come on!” Felix whined. “You suggested that to me last week. You should be proud I already finished Part Two. I’m a busy man.”

“It’s Thanksgiving Break?”

“Exactly. I have a lot of sleeping to do. You met me during the summer, is that a surprise?”

Lee hummed and smiled brightly. “I guess not.”

By the time they made it to Felix’s favorite cat-infested, seafood-restaurant-parking-lot, Lee had fully interrogated him on the anime as well as his sleeping habits. The cats, a glorious species Felix would never fight with over dumpster-pastries, seemed to notice that Lee was not only a newcomer but easy-pickings for extra pets and readily flocked over to him.

It was looking at Lee surrounded by cute, if slightly scraggly, animals that Felix was once again struck by a certain train of thought.

“Hey, Lee,” he spoke up, scratching lightly at a ginger cats’ chin. “Remember what you said about good intentions and honestly and all that?”

Lee, from his awkward position attempting to pet two cats who kept moving around, furrowed his eyebrows even while offering a smile. “Sure.”

“Does that mean I can ask about how your whole warlock getup works now?” Felix continued.

Lee blinked. “Have we really not discussed it… Huh, guess we haven't. Well, I mean, I’m not sure  _ how _ it works because, you know, H.E.B.S. but... You mentioned over text a few weeks ago that you found out about Brenna because you saw her transform? It was her key necklace that activated it, right?”

Felix blinked owlishly. “Uh, yeah, I guess.”

“My transformation is activated by my earrings,” Lee explained with a smile before parting his hair and showing off a purple stud on his left ear. “They turn into the bat earrings and the rest just kinda follows.”

“So… do you like bats because of the getup, is your getup the way it is because you like bats, or is it just a complete coincidence?” Felix asked, flinching back slightly when the cat he was petting hissed at him. “Bats, not cats. Don’t get jealous.”

Lee laughed at his pain, the bastard. “No clue. Though I definitely liked bats before I discovered what my earrings could do.”

Felix sighed when his cat wandered off and stretched as he stood up. “I’m almost afraid to ask but… what about your cards?”

Lee followed suit and they were already wandering away from the parking lot as he answered. “Oh, those are just always there.”

And, to prove it, he summoned one displaying Juliana, Candor, and Cara at Havenden. They looked like they were arguing about something.

Felix scowled. “Show off.”

Lee’s smile only brightened.

Their next stop was closer to the university to grab lunch at a small cafe. Well, Lee grabbed lunch in the form of a small salad. Felix bought a few pastries and refused to take criticism, even as Lee pointed out he should really start eating foods that kept him going for longer. Which... was obviously true but Felix didn’t care when he had already  _ seen _ the pastries.

They decided to grab some coffee while they were there, because of course they did, and walked back to the campus to actually eat. Lee showed off one of his favorite spots: A bench next to a patch of grass with a pretty good view of the belltower.

As they were eating, Felix mentioned that he had to write an essay over the break, something which Lee immediately jumped on and offered to help with. In all the chaos that was life, it was pretty easy to forget the guy was actually an English major.

After working out the preliminary set-up and being taught how to actually structure an essay, Felix took it upon himself to pass down a few combat tips as thanks. He knew Lee liked to be as non-violent as possible but some solid defense advice couldn’t hurt.

Sometime during his second donut and about two-thirds into his coffee, Felix’s slightly-too-graphic description of exactly how much blood a vigilante could lose before they should cut their losses and just go to the hospital was cut short by an unfamiliar voice yelling out, “Hey, Lee, buddy!”

The voice belonged to another college student, a friend standing beside him. Felix instantly disliked the pair, if only because one of them was wearing open-toed shoes while he needed to bundle up under a behemoth of a coat.

“Oh! Hey, Cam. Tuck,” Lee greeted and Felix didn’t miss the way some of his signature warmth faded away.

Cam, or who Felix assumed was Cam, turned a disgruntled look over to him. “This your little brother or something?”

“Do I look like his brother?” Felix deadpanned.

“No, you’re right. Too short,” Cam agreed before quickly forgetting about him. “So, Lee, buddy, what’cha doing out here?”

Lee stiffened and set down the cinnamon roll Felix had offered him. “I’m talking to a friend?”

“Cool. Cool,” Cam replied, nodding over to Tuck.

Responding immediately, Tuck slid closer. “So, about our project for Bladeworth, we were wondering if you could help us out a bit.”

“Oh. Um, with which part?” Lee asked.

“Just, you know, we got stuck with all the diagram stuff and we’ve been trying but it’s not exactly our strength,” Cam explained.

Lee shifted, a conflicted expression painted on his face. “I mean, I can give you some pointers but I’ve already done a lot and it’s due on the 27th, guys.”

“Exactly!” Tuck exclaimed with a grin, roughly patting Lee on the shoulder and letting it rest there. “It’s not enough time to do it on our own! You gotta help us!”

And fuck, Felix was getting weird flashbacks now to random shows he didn’t actually remember watching where bullshit like this happened and--  _ Oh, holy caffeine, H.E.B.S. totally programmed movie synopsis into me, didn’t they?! _

But that wasn’t important.

Standing up abruptly, Felix pulled the hand off Lee’s shoulder and glared. “But enough time for him to do it on his own?”

Cam rolled his eyes. “Kid, sit back down. You don’t know what’s going on here.”

“Oh?” Felix asked and turned to face Lee. “Let me learn, then. How much of this project have you already done.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say--” Lee stammered out.

“Percentage,” Felix interrupted.

“70 percent? Maybe 80…”

Felix stared in shock for a moment. “I can’t believe  _ I’m _ the one asking this, but when do you  _ sleep _ , dude?”

Lee shrugged. “I never decline your coffee offers for a reason.”

Felix took a deep breath and turned back to the annoyances. “That settles it. He’s done more than enough. Surely you two aren’t dumb enough you can’t handle 30, no, 20 percent between the two of you? Or do you scare off one another's brain cells when you’re together? Tell you what, both of you take 10 percent, find some privacy, finish it today, and you’ll be fine.”

Tuck’s face turned bright red. “Who the fuck do you think you are to boss us around--” 

But Felix had already turned back to Lee. “Batty, did I ever tell you about my  _ favorite _ move?”

Lee shook his head and, just like Felix was expecting, a hand grabbed at his own shoulder.

Felix let his trademark grin take over. “Learned this one from Brenna.”

And with that, he grabbed the hand on his shoulder and yanked it forward as he jammed his other elbow back, hitting Tuck hard in the stomach, before spinning around and twisting the arm up behind the guys back.

When he let go, Tuck stumbled away and glared, breathing heavily.

“You wanna try it on the other guy?” Felix asked with a certain manic glee.

Lee stared wide-eyed, though Felix didn’t miss the way the corners of his lips curled up. “Nah, I think I’m good. Got anything more violent?”

“Glad you asked! I can demonstrate,” Felix agreed, turning to face the remaining student. “Cam? Wanna volunteer?”

Cam’s face was twisted up in confusion and disgust. “Whatever. Let’s go, Tuck.”

Tuck didn’t speak as they left; just sent one more glare Felix’s way.

“If they try to claim you assaulted them, just smile and point out there’s a camera covering this area, yeah?” Felix suggested, plopping back down beside Lee.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Lee whined. “They’re barely worth it.”

Felix frowned, grin fading away. “You are, though. Lee, how often do people shove their work on you? You’ve mentioned shit like this before.”

Lee wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I-- Well, it’s not like I--”

“So a lot, then?” Felix confirmed.

Lee’s body tensed before completely relaxing. “Relatively. But it’s… it’s no big deal, you know? Sometimes people genuinely need some help…”

“You’re in college, Batty,” Felix pointed out. “Helping others is great and all but your classmates need to learn to pull their own weight. And assholes who wear sandals in fucking Newcoast City during November don’t deserve your help.”

Lee frowned. “Weren’t you the one who said we’re supposed to help people?”

“Yeah, people in need. Not college-age bullies,” Felix shot back. “Honestly, Lee, your kindness is far and away the best thing about you but that was just ridiculous. I noticed it back when Miles and I found you, too. You just cave into fake smiles and act like everyone’s entitled to your time. They’re not, Batty. You let people treat you like that and they’ll think they can get away with treating  _ more _ people like that. Aren’t you a vigilante to protect others from that sort of bullshit?”

Lee swallowed thickly. “I guess. I never thought about it that way… So--”

“Don’t apologize, please,” Felix begged. “It’s not your fault they treat you like shit, dude. But you owe it to yourself to fight back. If that stuff continues, tell your professors or something. Someone as amazing as you deserves better than to live as a doormat.”

Lee’s smile was a little hollow and Felix could tell his words didn’t fully get through to him, but fuck,  _ he _ wasn’t the English major here. He didn’t have as many words as he’d like.

_ “Your coffee’s getting cold,” _ his scarf’s voice came, muffled from his bag.

Felix flinched. “Shit, Flex! You scared the shit out of me.”

He grabbed his coffee and quickly drank down the rest of it.

Lee, beside him, laughed a little. “I didn't even know you brought him.”

“He’s protesting nor being around my waist by not talking,” Felix explained slowly. “Personally, I think it’s an improvement.”

Lee’s laugh grew in strength and Felix silently thanked his silver companion. He’d almost forgotten how the scarf always knew what to say when Felix himself was breaking down. Sure, Flex could’ve helped out earlier but Felix held his tongue on that.

Besides, Lee looked happier now and really, that was all that mattered.

“Hey, if those guys or anyone else ever starts really bothering you, send me a message, okay?” Felix pleaded with a hesitant smile. “I know I’m skinny and I’m starting to accept that I’m actually short, but you know I’ve always got your back. What good are we vigilantes if we don’t look out for one another, right?”

Lee’s smile didn’t falter, thankfully. “I’m sure we have some worth besides that. But thanks.”

It was on the way home, hours later, when Felix received a photo of Miles and Jett alongside Brody’s family, that Felix started to internalize Lee’s words about their worth.


	24. [2:47 AM]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oops we're closing in on the end, what's the book one subplot again??

“So…” Felix drawled as he drew his mystery-flavor lollipop from his mouth -- he was moderately sure it was white chocolate. “You’re all good for tomorrow, then?”

KeyMaster shifted and looked out at the sky. “Actually, I’m not caught up yet.”

Felix frowned. “Oh, come on! I spend a week binging to catch up and suddenly  _ you’re _ behind?”

“I’m not even done with season one,” Dark Gunner chimed in. “It’s been a busy week.”

Their warlock let out an airy puff of laughter, mirth lighting up his smile and, yeah, Felix could not unsee the dimples now that Miles had pointed it out. “Scarfy, I take back everything I said, you’re far better than these two.”

KeyMaster groaned in annoyance and took a deep swig of her coffee-energy drink Frankenstein drink. “Give me a break, it’s like, forty-eight episodes and every single one of them is the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Felix grinned. “I guess you could say it’s a  _ bizarre _ \--”

“I guess you could say I know how to break bone,” KeyMaster snipped, cutting off his admittedly awful joke.

“Let’s give it another week, then?” Felix asked, sticking his lollipop back in his mouth.

Magic Bat, despite his easy smile, still managed to look concerned. “You guys really don’t have to rush… I’m super happy you took my recommendation at all so--”

“Fuck off, you said you’d like to watch the finale together so we’re watching the finale together,” Dark Gunner snapped, though there was no bite.

Felix let out a dramatic gasp anyway, grin widening. “Blondie, you can’t say the fuck-word around Batty! Our warlock’s too young to hear such foul language!”

KeyMaster choked on her drink.

Magic Bat pouted, brows pinching together. “Hey now, I know I’ve sworn in front of you guys before. You’re bad influences, after all.”

Even the cold air of early December couldn’t steal the warmth away from Felix as he snickered and threw out a line or two about children growing up too fast. Flex grumbled to himself once or twice but Felix paid it no mind.

About a week had passed since Thanksgiving and, despite it all, Felix liked to think he was doing pretty good. Sure, he still hardly slept, he and Brody weren’t completely back to normal, and he still had no fucking clue as to how to deal with the whole H.E.B.S. situation, but on the bright side: School hadn’t been too bad -- for a Monday -- and he was relatively undamaged from crime-fighting this week. Normally he’d have a few bruises but he could confidently say he wasn't even sore! That had to be a sign of good luck, right?

Well, luck is relative, anyway. His lack of injuries was certainly a positive sign but, mentally, he was tiring out a bit. When he’d hung out with Lee the week before, it had seemed almost inconsequential to realize there’d been more stuff programmed into his head than he’d realized. Fake memories were one thing but movie synopsis were a whole other level of freaky. He’d spent a good few hours this week on Wikipedia, looking at the plot section of famous films and TV shows and seeing how accurate his implanted memories were.

They were almost word for word. Felix didn’t know whether to be creeped out by the extent of memories or annoyed by how lazy a job it had been.

Little things like that kept popping up every now and then, especially now that Candor and Cara were living with him. Candor was just as observant as ever and would blurt out inconsistencies as they appeared to him. Which, well, Felix was at times grateful for. Knowing what was up was better than ignorance these days. That didn’t mean the inconsistencies themselves didn’t weigh down on him, though. Even on patrols, now, he would look at his friends and wonder how the fuck he’d never realized he didn’t actually have any friends “from before he moved here” back before he’d accepted the whole H.E.B.S. thing.

But it was everyone else’s job to be frustrated with Past-Felix. 

Present-Felix was currently failing his actual job -- patrol with the babes.

Granted, the “babes” were failing, too. They’d all met up about two hours ago and, already, a quarter of that time had been spent lounging on a fire escape, eating snacks and trading jokes. Felix couldn't help but feel a bit guilty -- he was typically the one who monitored how long they spent on their breaks -- but he couldn't help but soak up the good mood nonetheless. 

It helped that Magic Bat had eyes on all the city’s hot spots tonight. So long as things were quiet, Felix didn’t mind neglecting his unofficial duties.

Things weren’t quiet.

It was Flex that ended up spotting the commotion, close enough to be in the scarf’s range of senses but distant enough that the four vigilantes had no clue. It wasn’t happening in a hot spot, either, so Magic Bat’s cards were rendered useless for a minute or two while he redirected a few.

They were on the “nicer” side of town, a phrase that had started to mean less and less throughout the last few months as Hellside Harbor had gotten bolder and bolder. Safer overall, sure, but never untouched from what happened in the rest of the city.

The group paused about a block away and Magic Bat confirmed that it was some sort of gathering with one guy yelling at the center. Nothing inherently illegal, but this was the “safe” part of town and it was a slow night. They could stand to take a closer look.

Honestly, Felix felt a little silly when the four of them snuck onto a nearby balcony and peeked their heads over the edge to get a good look. Some days, he felt more like a little kid playing make-believe than the Original Vigilante™ of Newcoast City. (His height didn’t help.)

Felix didn’t recognize the guy shouting but he recognized the color of his tie. Now, a red tie didn’t immediately mean the guy was Hellside Harbor but the color was their calling card, even in supposedly stealthy situations. 

When his ears caught up, though, they confirmed what his eyes were worried about.

“--and our mayor does nothing! No! He does worse than nothing! He embraces these menaces!” The man was ranting, waving one arm wildly while the other tightly gripped his briefcase. “Aren’t you sick of it? Of living in fear your businesses will be invaded? Of being gunned down without warning?”   
  


“Angry businessman or HH?” KeyMaster asked the three of them quietly, voice tight. 

“HH,” Dark Gunner replied without hesitation. “Name’s Barry Richard Norton. He’s pretty high up, actually. Guess the bullet I put in him last week didn’t stick.”

Beside him, Magic Bat sucked in a breath. Felix didn’t blame him -- he’d barely managed not to flinch at the reminder that dorky Miles Barrett killed people on the regular.

There was a thick silence amongst the four as the man continued ranting. 

After a moment, Felix turned and gave a half-hearted smile to KeyMaster. “You okay?”

She jumped a little at the question, breaking away from her intense scrutiny of the scene below. “Am  _ I  _ okay? Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well…” Felix trailed off a bit, unsure how to proceed. “He went after your dad a bit there…”

KeyMaster stared back, neither mouth nor mask giving away any emotion, before she turned her attention back to the street. “It happens.”

“There’s nothing to do here, huh?” Magic Bat asked and Felix made a note to thank him later for breaking  _ that _ conversion up. 

Dark Gunner coughed a little but he wasn’t hiding a laugh. It was born of discomfort and Felix wished he didn’t know why. “This is abnormal behavior. We need to know why.”

Felix caught the underlying tone. “You think he’s rallying support?”

“For what?” Magic Bat prodded.

“Exactly the issue,” KeyMaster confirmed. “They’re planning something.”

“And they think they need East Side support,” Dark Gunner elaborated. “Scarfy, help us out here. What sort of plan requires rallying rich people?”

Felix tuned back into the man on the street -- Barry -- as he kept ranting, seemingly never tiring in spite of the bullet wound that apparently marred his body.

“--this city is lazy! We’ll never find peace if we let masked criminals run around like this!”

The crowd wasn’t exactly cheering but they weren’t disagreeing either. Some seemed uncomfortable, some nodded slightly, but nobody outright left. Maybe they were important people Hellside Harbor had dirt on. Maybe they were members themselves, hoping to draw more of a crowd by presenting the idea of anonymity in numbers. Maybe they were just bored.

_ “Where’s that creep Deathwish when you need him?” _ Flex whined but Felix didn’t feel like playing along at the moment.

Mostly.

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly to both questions. “They could need funds. They could need the influence. Obviously, they want to get rid of us but I can’t say how they’d do it. But if they’re playing that card in public, they’re gonna do something big.”

KeyMaster sighed. “I recognize a few faces in the crowd. I’m gonna split off and do some more intensive investigation and relay anything important.”

Dark Gunner gave her a thumbs up. “I’ll keep an eye on Barry tonight. See if I can overhear any info about all this.”

Felix swallowed thickly. “You two be careful, okay?”

His friends spared him a glance and nodded firmly.

KeyMaster moved over to the edge and extended her key to the ground before pausing and pulling out a can of coffee. With a smirk, she tossed it over to Felix. “Save that for later, nerd. Don’t drink it all immediately.”

“Aye aye, Captain,” Felix grinned weakly. “I do have some self-control, you know.”

She scoffed lightly before vaulting off the balcony and into the night.

Dark Gunner was off just as quickly, parting with a quick order to not stay out alone too late, which, despite being hypocritical at that moment, was still good advice. Felix knew both KeyMaster and Dark Gunner could handle themselves for the most part but even he wasn’t keen to take his eyes off their most pacifistic member after all the rhetoric he’d heard tonight.

As it was, Felix and Magic Bat decided to zig-zag back towards Havenden University, leaving the special assignments to the specialists and keeping a general eye on things.

Felix was half-tempted to follow through on Flex’s comment and pay Deathwish a visit, but something held him back. He hadn’t actually paid the guy a visit since the whole Bloody Bones situation, but he was still a bit nervous to test his luck again. Felix really only knew five things about the guy: He was pretty damn smart, had influence over the fucking police, didn’t want kids to get hurt, used a fake accent, and was somewhat willing to help the vigilantes in town. 

But just because the guy had thrown Crimson Coast and Bloody Bones to the wind didn’t mean he’d do the same to Hellsde Harbor. If anything, it was the last big street gang left in the city and Deathwish was only so influential because he played to both sides. If Felix were in that position, where his livelihood and legitimacy were directly connected to his morality, or lack thereof, he wasn’t entirely sure what he’d do; whether his responsibilities or morality would come out on top. Part of him didn’t want to test his luck, sure, but another part of him wondered if it’d even be fair to ask that much of Deathwish.

~

The week rolled by.

School was getting more stressful. As of that Friday, there was officially less than a week until finals started, something Felix now knew he’d only gone through once before and had little to no clue how he’d managed last time.

(Seriously. How he’d made it through his freshman year would always remain a mystery.)

He’d set up a little study date with Brody, Ash, and Jett for the weekend. Jett, frankly, was only invited because the guy was a fucking snake and had a shitton of info on what would actually be on the finals. He also had a few classes with the sophomore class because, well, that’s what being smart enough to cheat the system got you.

Brody had quietly mentioned, earlier that week, that Jett actually  _ should _ be a sophomore, age-wise. He’d gotten held back in elementary school for reasons he wouldn’t share with Brody, but it didn’t take a genius to guess it wasn’t a coincidence he’d ended up in Miles’ grade.

The snake-ier the guy got, the more Felix liked him, honestly. Or maybe he just envied his skills. Either way, he definitely approved of Brody’s crush.

But, well, that was a separate matter.

Anyway, those were the weekend plans. Currently, Felix was throwing together his final English project and decidedly ignoring his math homework. His work was spread across the coffee table and the TV was on, half-distracting him. But Candor and Cara had garnered a fascination for the kid’s channels recently. They were, apparently, pretty different than they were before H.E.B.S. had gotten their hands on the twins.

Sometimes, Felix forgot they hadn’t been at the facility their entire lives. Sometimes, he wanted to ask why they were so certain they had no family left to go to… Sometimes, he thought he already knew the answer. Sometimes, he just didn’t want to make them rehash it all.

Candor was actually passed out in Chester’s favorite chair, now. He was drooling. Cara had suggested they take a picture for blackmail and Felix was a hundred percent down for letting someone other than himself get teased for once. He and Cara understood each other like that.

Just when Felix reached an epiphany about his project -- that he had no clue what he was doing and didn’t really care -- a door down the hallway opened and Chester came stumbling into the living room a few seconds later. The man glanced at Felix, grabbed his empty coffee mug, and retreated to the kitchen.

Cara just shrugged when Felix shot her a confused look.

A minute later, Chester returned, giving Felix a fresh cup of coffee and sitting down next to him with a mug of his own. He took a long sip before sighing and turning to Felix.

“Okay. If I ran something past you, could you promise to be chill about it?” He asked.

Felix gazed down at his own cup of coffee, took a tentative sip -- Chester’s coffee tended to fluctuate in quality and the uncertainty was always cause for trepidation -- and nodded.

“Okay,” Chester breathed out and then, more certain, “Okay. Since you checked out the chip in my head, I’ve been working through various possibilities regarding the mechanics of it. Apparently, I have some experience with it, so I decided to give it a go.”

He trailed off and took another sip. Felix raised a brow. “And?”

“And, well, based on your descriptions, I think I know a way to disable the memory blocking?”

Felix choked, briefly, on his coffee. “What, really? That’s awesome!”

Chester gave him a look that was decidedly dad-ish. “You’re not being chill.”

“Right… Sorry, is this somehow bad news?” 

Cara spoke up, voice a little weak. “You can’t test it, can you?”

She looked unsurprised when Felix turned to look at her and he couldn’t help but wonder if Chester had run part of this by her previously or if she was just used to disappointment.

“Not on one of us, no,” Chester agreed. “My only real theory on how to do it without physically reaching it -- cause none of us are actually brian surgeons, I don’t think -- is through something like an EMP.”

Oh. Yeah, that’d do it. 

“And if the chip is too connected to the brain and we permanently damage it…” Felix prompted, hating the scenarios that flashed in his mind.

“Bad shit, probably.” Chester punctuated  _ that  _ eloquent explanation with another gulp of his coffee. “It’d be especially scary to test it on someone like you cause, well, based on your descriptions about how synthetic you are, it probably runs way too much of your body to even try messing with. But the rest of us, we still can’t really be sure.”

“So, what? It’s a dead-end?”

“Why don’t you just…” Cara paused and glanced quickly back at the TV before opting to turn it off. “Do you think you could make a new one to test it on?”

“Maybe?” Chester answered. “Thing is, I still don’t really know how it’s constructed. I have theories but if I think it works one way and it actually does the opposite…”

Felix set down his mug. “I can help. I mean, I don’t get a great picture of what’s going on when I… when I do my thing… but maybe with practice, I can pick out the vital stuff?”

Chester frowned. “And pass out after two minutes?”

“Like I said,” Felix shrugged. “Practice. We can figure it out and see if we can fix our brains.”

Cara cleared her throat. “Hey. Felix, um…” 

“Yeah?”

“It’s just… this is definitely a good idea and all…” She sighed and straightened up. “Have you considered what’s actually gonna happen when you get your memories back?”

“Uh… I’ll be sure I’m not brainwashed anymore and actually remember our friendship?”

“The fire, Felix,” she snapped. “You’ll remember the fire.”

Fuck. Right.  _ That _ was something he was guilty of not thinking about very often. None of this situation had been easy to process but the very real, very invisible body horror was one of the worst things to wrap his head around. Even calling himself “partially synthetic,” as creepy as that was, didn’t really cover knowing your flesh had been burnt off and your eyes replaced without having a single scar from it. 

Not that he  _ wanted _ scars; he just couldn’t connect that fact of it to his self-perception sometimes. 

He kinda wanted his freckles back, though. The more he examined that picture Candor had given him, the more he missed them.

Anyway. 

“Fire… Not gonna be pleasant, I’d bet,” he tried to quip.

Cara’s expression just tightened up more. “Seriously, Felix. You went through  _ that _ and then they wiped your mind. I doubt you had any time to process the pain and shock of it.”

“So it’s gonna suck,” Felix agreed, trying his best to give a reassuring smile. “It’s gonna suck worse if we can’t deal with this, though. All the positives and negatives… I gotta believe they’re worth it, Cat.”

Cara’s face untwisted with that, brightening up into a soft smile, which was a little confusing ‘cause Felix didn’t think he’d been all that convincing.

“You used to call me that,” she explained with quiet laughter. “Before. All the time.”

Memories of their first -- well, his sorta-first -- meeting flooded through his mind. Candor’s wings took up so much space in his memory of that night that it was easy to forget the cat-decals on Cara’s outfit, alongside her graceful, stealthy movements. Even with his admittedly limited grasp of her personality, he could absolutely believe he’d given her the nickname before.

Didn’t mean he knew what to say, though.

“Huh,” he said with the utmost eloquence. “Cool.”

Thankfully, Cara didn’t seem to mind. 

Actually, her attention had already drifted off, staring at the spot beside Felix with a raised eyebrow.

The spot beside Felix…

Where Chester was now slumped over, coffee mug miraculously having not spilled despite how loose his grasp on it was, apparently having fallen asleep the moment he wasn’t actively engaged in conversation. 

“How long has he been awake?” Cara asked, a little worried and a little amused, as Felix carefully extracted the mug from Chester’s torpid grip, desperate to save the coffee from an untimely death.

Felix pondered his fake-dad’s hours once more and could only shrug in response.

~

Never let it be said that his slight obsession with crime-fighting was the only thing keeping Felix from a good night’s sleep.

In fact, it was often the case that he slept better after a long night of jumping across rooftops, punching random assholes around, and chatting with 1 to 3 other, unfortunately, more competent vigilantes. He’d come home -- through his front door, recently, now that Juliana and Chester were in the know -- shrug off anything particularly uncomfortable in his ensemble, and pass out pretty quickly. Exhaustion caught up to him like that.

Really, getting 2 to 4 hours of sleep a night was worth the company he kept.

The nights he didn’t go out, though? That’s where things got messy.

His body was so nocturnal at this point that he wouldn’t even start getting tired till nearly 1 am, if he was lucky. Once  _ in _ bed, his mind still went a million miles a minute, convinced there was some reason to pump him full of adrenaline or crave a can of coffee. On good nights, he’d get roughly the same amount of sleep he'd get if he went out.

It was  _ good _ sleep, though. Flex recently told him he’d slept through Candor tripping in the early morning hours in the hallway and loudly swearing, presumably because he’d stubbed his toe. Felix was kinda sad to have missed it. Still, it meant he slept like a rock.

None of that sounds particularly important but it’s all info needed to excuse why he was still awake at 2:47 am that night. Well, 2:47 am the next day? Whatever. He was still awake.

And kinda hating himself for it, too, ‘cause he was trying to make his brain focus on what little work he had left to do for his English project while it adamantly protested  _ no no no, don’t write that, that’s such a bad take _ and  _ the presence of trauma isn’t a theme, Felix, stop projecting _ and  _ fuck, you should’ve just taken notes _ .

His brain was probably right. Was he gonna listen to it? Hell no. He was finishing this up tonight and he’d take the C- with pride, dammit.

How Lee could survive being an English major, he’d never know.

So. 2:47 am. Furiously scribbling down a half-assed essay to accompany his slideshow presentation and his fucking “symbolism map” and mostly wanting to go to sleep or, now that he’d thought about his warlock, watch some anime.

2:47 am and someone knocked on his window.

Felix refused to hear it at first, convinced it came from the earbud in his right ear. Perhaps some poorly recorded drums he’d never noticed before?

The song ended. He heard the knocks again and he'd just resigned himself to his fate of getting killed by some insane, serial-killer demon because he’d disrespected the natural cycle and stayed up too late or some shit when he swiveled his chair around and saw Miles, half-dressed in his Dark Gunner get-up on the other side of the glass.

So, technically, his serial killer assumption wasn’t completely off. But just that thought made him feel a bit guilty so he wasted no time in letting the guy in.

“Like it was locked,” Felix teased as he slid the window open and watched Miles clamber in like a kitten who’d just been dumped in the sink for a bath. 

Miles gave him a Look™ once he’d gotten properly inside and pulled the blinds closed as soon as his entrance was sealed behind him. “It should be. What if that wasn’t me?”

Oh! Felix had an answer for that! He grinned and stretched an arm over his head -- he’d been writing for far too long. “Die, probably. Not gonna fuck with demons.”

Miles looked like he very much wanted to question that train of thought but wilted before the words made it out of his mouth. Instead, he roughly shrugged off his leather jacket, likely containing all his usual headwear, several knives, sour gummy worms, and probably his fucking gun, and collapsed face-down onto Felix’s bed.

Flex wiggled out from under Felix’s pillow, just enough to make his presence known.  _ “I spend five minutes organizing my files and you adopt a stray.” _

Felix only kept from laughing because he was worried enough about said stray.

“Uh… Blondie?” He asked, cautiously sitting down on the space not currently occupied by his weird, usually angry friend. “You good?”

Miles sighed and rolled over onto his back, bringing an arm up to cover his eyes. “Nope.”

Felix considered his options and settled on investigation. “Did… did something happen?”

“Barry Norton’s dead,” Miles announced, voice oddly calm for the subject. Or, rather, kept carefully neutral so he could say it in the first place. 

Tone aside, Felix’s brain no longer had any problem focusing. In fact, all of his attention was swiftly brought in on this one sentence.

“The, uh, Hellside Harbor guy?” Felix asked, wishing he had water in his room instead of long-cold coffee and chocolate bars. Neither would help his rapidly drying throat.

“Yeah,” Miles gruffly confirmed, moving his arm to rub at his eyes. “I trailed him all week. He kept quiet, mostly. Kept doing those little rally things. Said the same shit every time. Couldn’t figure out who he was reporting to.”

Felix swallowed hard. “That’s… that’s fine. Brenna probably turned something up on her end.”

They were both silent for a moment, even Flex apparently deciding not to speak up, before Miles heaved out another sigh and sat up, cross-legged. 

Felix almost didn’t mind that his boots were on his blankets.

“You’re not gonna ask?” Miles’ eyes weren’t scarier than usual, per se. Just sadder.

“Ask what?” Felix knew what.

“If I killed him.”

Felix took a deep breath. “Did you?”

Tension hung between them for a moment before Miles deflated again.

“No. It wasn’t me,” he confessed, exhaustion and confusion leaking out of him with every word he spoke. “I almost did. He noticed me. Freaked out. Shot at me a few times. M’sure that’ll be on the news tomorrow. When I beat him, though… When I had him cornered, I couldn't pull the trigger. Told him to get lost. Hour later, I was on my way home and I saw some other HH guys dumping his body in the harbor.”

There were so many questions Felix wanted to ask, mostly about Hellside Harbor killing their own men, but the more tactful part of him knew that Miles didn’t come here for business.

Business would be so much easier.

“Why  _ didn’t  _ you kill him?” He asked, hating the way Miles’ face twisted up. “You tried to already, right? What changed?”

“I don’t know,” Miles answered, voice quiet.

Felix narrowed his eyes. “I think you do.”

Miles tensed up again for a moment before resting his face in his hands. “I… It’s not… There wasn’t anything  _ big _ , I just… With all this H.E.B.S. stuff going on, I’m not even fucking sure what my own thoughts are. You… you said that thing when you explained it all to me. If I even wanted to kill. And I’ve been angry for a long time, yeah, but the killing thing… that’s new. And I never questioned it until then, just let it make me feel like shit and pushed it back down.”

“And now you’re questioning it?”

Miles lifted his head back up properly, eyes boring into Felix’s own with a fierce devastation. “What if it’s not me? What if it’s just some fucked up brainwashing? Would that be any better than if it  _ was _ just me? I still did it. People are still dead. And I- I looked at him, right? I looked him dead in the eye. And I knew, under his clothes, there was already a bullet wound. And there was what you said and, fuck, the way you guys stiffen up sometimes. There was Lee barely ever getting violent and the time Brody fucking managed to defend Dark Gunner killing and I just thought: What the fuck am I doing? Do I even want to do this? And I just couldn’t.”

Okay. Okay. Felix had the social grace to deal with this. Probably.

“I can’t say for sure what’s going on in our heads, Miles, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have theories,” he started off. “Frankly, I always found how easily you killed suspicious and once H.E.B.S. came along, I couldn’t help but wonder how much they had to do with it. They did shit to me. Before I met you guys, I just wanted to stay isolated. I think part of me knew, deep down, whatever weird shit was going on with my abilities, the other vigilantes probably had similar oddities. And maybe that conflicted with my  _ Avoid H.E.B.S _ protocol or something cause I did some dumb shit to sate that anxiety.”

Miles nodded sagely. “The lampposts.”

“I hate that Lee shared that story but yes, the lampposts. Anyway, it’s been known to happen and I only broke out of that cause my actual loneliness and want for friendship broke through when I met you guys.” He took a deep breath and made sure his next sentence came out right. “Miles, if you’re double-guessing your methods, it’s probably because you have a fucking heart and it couldn’t handle this forever. We’re teenagers with limited emotional stability, not trained soldiers. We can handle a lot, apparently, but I’ve been sort of worried about how long you could keep going like this.”

Miles didn’t look happy but Felix didn’t really expect him to. “You… You never… You and Lee and even Brenna, sometimes, it obviously makes you uncomfortable. You stiffen up or flinch or-- or-- or  _ something _ ... You never mentioned it.”

Huh. Felix liked it better when he was the one asking questions.

Still, it was an easy answer. “I mean, I’ve never liked it, like, at all but I already told you I didn’t draw the line at killing when it came to friendships… Which, um, says more about me than you, really. When we first met, it wasn’t a boundary I wanted to cross with a stranger, especially one with a gun but… I guess I eventually figured it was your decision. I’m not moral enough to debate vigilante ethics with you, even if I do think killing is wrong. In the end, I figured it was just something you’d need to mull over yourself.”

Miles was quiet after that and Felix decided it was a deserved mental respite. Eventually, his friend just huffed out a sigh, straightened out his legs to hang off the edge of the bed like Felix’s, and picked up Flex.

_ “What are you doing?” _ Flex snapped ineffectively.  _ “Felix, what’s he doing!?” _

Felix couldn’ help but chuckle. “He just grabbed you, Flex. Chill.”

Miles nodded along to the half-conversation. “Yup. And now, because it’s been a long year and I’ve always kinda wanted to, I’m gonna put you on my shoulders. Please don’t choke me.”

_ “Isn’t he a bit arrogant?” _ It was clearly a joke, one Miles couldn’t even hear, but insensitive enough that Felix was gonna punish him for it anyway.

“Blondie, he says you’re warm,” he smiled brightly as Flex settled in on Miles’ shoulders.

_ “Blondie isn’t gonna be the one I choke tonight.” _

“Mmm. Think you’ve used that one before, buddy. Also, yikes.”

Miles only coughed a little. “He’s heavier than I expected.”

“Like a backpack, yeah,” Felix agreed, enjoying the brighter mood for a moment before settling back in for the regularly scheduled program. “Miles--”

“The dates line up,” Miles cut him off, absentmindedly playing with the tail-end of Flex. “Could just be, you know, having a gun, but I never even seriously hurt anyone with my knives before it all. I’d get close but I always lost more than I won. Even when I first, uh,  _ mulled it over _ , I just figured it was my usual anger.”

“Have you always…” 

“Had anger issues?” Miles finished for him, voice quiet. “No. That, um… Well, as soon as I was old enough to know what a gang even was, I didn’t really like them. But then my-- my dad got involved in one. Dunno which. Think he took out a loan and couldn’t pay it back.”

Miles lived with his uncle, Felix remembered. Jett mentioned it more often than Miles did. 

“I’m not sure how much of it all was just my dad or how much pressure the gang put on him to push him to breaking point but--” Miles breath hitched, shoulders sagging and eyes screwed closed. “He uh, he just broke one day and he-- well, my mom didn’t make it. I barely did. I, well, I think he was gonna kill himself, too? But neighbors got there first... Heard my mom’s screams. Cops got called. Been in prison ever since.”

Fuck. Shit.  _ Fuck _ . 

Felix felt awful for even stressing over what to say to that but all he could even think of was--

“Fuck.” 

“I know,” Miles laughed humorlessly in spite of the tears escaping from his closed eyelids and shit, Felix craved for something better to say, something that'd actually mean something to hear, but his heart was racing and his tongue was dry and  _ fuck _ , man. “I was pretty young. Had no fucking clue what was happening. Soon as I started understanding it, it just… It wasn’t fair. All I really had was Jett, but that wasn’t for a few more years. My uncle had no clue how to deal with me. I got angry ‘cause there was nothing else  _ to  _ be. When the gun… I just… I figured…”

Miles’ silence finally gave Felix his own voice again, alongside his common sense. He reached out and pulled Miles into a hug, trying his best to comfort his shaking friend physically even as the conversation went on. “You thought your anger just evolved.”

Miles nodded into his shoulder, reciprocating the hug. “I hated the gangs. Hated my uncle. Eventually, I just hated everything.”

“You don’t hate  _ me _ , though,” Felix pointed out before immediately feeling a bit selfish. 

“Or-- Or Jett! Or Lee, or…” 

Miles sighed heavily, then, but he smiled a bit, too. Felix counted that as the silver lining. “Well, sometimes I hate Jett a little, but that’s because he's like a brother to me -- I’m supposed to hate him just a little. Lee’s… refreshing. I can’t see anything bad about him.” 

Felix felt Flex wrap around one of his own arms and allowed himself to be a little selfish. “And… and me?”

That got a laugh, though Felix wasn’t sure why. 

“ _ This _ ,” Miles explained, voice choked from his sharp laughter. “This right here. And the little things, too. You… you make me feel like I’m not broken. I just spilled my heart our about my murder-boner and you’re hugging me like I’m not the worst person in our friend group.”

Felix pulled back from the hug, though still kept his hands on Miles’ arms. “Okay. First, we are definitely adding  _ murder-boner _ to our vocabulary. Second, what the fuck? You are  _ so  _ not the worst person in our friend group.”

Miles' eyes were red and his face was wet but he still managed to look pretty determined. “Felix, I’ve killed people. I’m a murderer.”

“Yeah, and you’re figuring out you don’t want to be and that it might not have even come from you,” Felix argued. “I doubt H.E.B.S. managed to do anything to my moral code and I still cared less about the people you were killing than I cared about how you were handling it.”

Shock reigned over Miles’ face. “Felix--”

“No, seriously, listen. I…” A memory Felix hated found itself on the forefront of his mind and, despite it all, he knew it was what he needed to say. “That day that Bloody Bones attacked the school, I knew what I was asking of you. I knew what you’d probably end up doing. I asked you anyway… I saw the office, Miles. That’s not just on you. If anything, I probably thought about it more than you did.”

“That was just one time, Felix.”

“I don’t try to seriously injure people when I fight but I’ll never know for sure if I caused a severe injury,” Felix persisted. “I can’t know for sure. There are as many false claims about getting beat up by me as real ones nowadays. And I don’t… I don’t really care. I know most people would but I don’t. This is why I didn’t want to debate vigilante ethics with you, Blondie. I’m not a paragon of justice. I don’t know what I’m doing half the time. I go out and beat people up because I want to. I think I can help the victims and that’s all I really consider. In that regard, you’re ahead of me right now.”

“I never thought about the victims,” Miles still denied. “Just… just myself.”

Felix patted his shoulder. “Food for thought, then. Point is, if we’re gonna try and assign bad values to ourselves, we’re gonna have to have a serious chat about intention versus action. But I kinda don’t want to right now so let’s just call it a tie.”

Miles seemed frozen stiff for a moment before his frown melted and a wobbly grin fought its way onto his face. “It’s still not okay.”

“So how do we make it okay?” Felix asked. “Whatever you decide, Miles, I’ll follow along and I’ll hold you to it.”

The other teen dropped his gaze to his lap. “I just-- What would _Dark_ _Gunner_ even do without a _gun_? How the fuck would I keep up with you guys?”

Felix bit his lip. “You’re pretty good with those knives. I’m sure the rest of us could give you pointers on any moves you wanna copy from us. And, well, you can still use the gun.” At Miles’ baffled look, Felix quickly amended, “I mean, you’re not exactly dumb, Blondie! If you wanna figure out how to use a gun without killing people, then I think you can do it! Maybe we can even make, I dunno, non-lethal bullets? Rubber ones exist, right? And between Chester and me, well, if we have free time, we can make new types! Like, um, taser bullets? Maybe tranquilizers? You said your gun just adjusts to new bullet sizes righ-- I’m rambling. Fuck. Sorry.”

But Miles incredulity had morphed into something softer. “No, you’re fine. I… thanks, Felix.”

Felix frowned. “But I haven’t even done anything yet.”

“Yeah, you have, dummy,” Miles assured him, which, well, felt really nice. “I know you’ve got my back so… So I’m gonna stop. Killing, I mean. I’ll find some other way to fight those dicks.”

Nodding, Felix mentally reviewed the conversation and tried to figure out how best to proceed. “I, um… What-- What do you need from me?”

Miles didn’t note his weak delivery, thankfully. 

“Just… what you said earlier?” Miles suggested quietly. “It might be a lot but just-- just hold me to it? Our strats will probably have to change a bit so there’s that. And, um, if you could maybe ask Lee about some of his less acrobatic moves…”

“Less lethal self-defense?” Felix suggested. “I’ll hit him up tomorrow.”

Some invisible tension drained out of Miles then, leaving the haunted look in his eyes fade to deep exhaustion and cutting away the strength in his muscles. The breath that escaped past his lips was fragile and yet old and withered, having been held for far too long, and his determination to fend off gravity departed with it.

Basically, the blonde flopped back down onto his back with a heavy sigh like a complete dork who hadn’t been paying attention to what the possibly metallic, AI scarf he wrapped around his neck had been doing -- i.e. also wrapping itself around Felix -- and so, when he fell backward, the aforementioned scarf decided revenge was a dish best served quick.

Basically, basically: Felix’s head thumped against Miles' surprisingly bony shoulder when he was inevitably pulled down, knocking off his glasses which, frankly, he’d forgotten he was even wearing. It only hurt because he knew Flex had meant for it to happen.

Flex’s weird, mechanical snickering did not abate when Felix called his scarf a jackass.

Felix pushed himself back up just enough to rearrange himself into an actually comfortable position, not hesitating to shove Miles out of the way a bit. It was for the greater cause.

Felix took a few deep breaths once he’d laid down, refocusing his mind. “Huh. Tomorrow is today. I’ll talk to Lee today.”

Miles coughed, hella fakely, and tossed Felix’s forlorn glasses on the floor. “Tomorrow isn’t today until you go the fuck to sleep.”

“Don’t think time works like that,” Felix contemplated, “but I see your point… You wanna crash here ‘till morning?”

Miles was quiet for a bit too long. Felix turned to look at him properly.

“...Your uncle?” Felix guessed. 

Miles sort of shrugged. “He’s probably getting off work soon. He… He knows I’m out all night but he doesn’t really give a shit. I might as well not go home. Makes no difference.”

Felix’s eyes were burning with exhaustion by this point. The logical, smart parts of his brain were begging him to, as Miles put it, go the fuck to sleep. Let today become tomorrow.

Felix sat up and tugged his scarf away from Miles. “You know what? I’m hungry.”

_ “You’re never hungry this late,” _ Flex complained as Felix stuffed the scarf under his shirt, letting his mechanical friend wrap around his waist. 

Miles looked as confused as Flex probably was. “You are?”

Felix nodded vigorously, crawling off the bed and tugging on a pair of shoes. “Yup! Got no specific craving but I could eat. So come on, grab a jacket. What do you wanna get?”

Miles still looked a bit dazed but complied nonetheless, getting up to tug a random sweater out of Felix’s closet. “Um… Fuck… I-- I saw a Denny’s on the way over?”

Felix knew the place. He’d passed out in the parking lot before. “Perfect. Then we can come back and I’ll catch you up on  _ JoJo’s _ , okay? Sweeten the pot for getting Lee’s help tomorrow.”

“Lee’ll help anyway,” Miles argued, but by the quirk in his lips, Felix knew he was catching on.

Felix grabbed a cardigan off the floor and his wallet before waltzing over to the window and sliding it open once more. “After you, Beanie-Baby.”

Miles paused midway out the window. “Thanks, Scarfy.”

Then he was climbing out again and Felix followed right on after him.


	25. [Do You Know?]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wowee, i finally finished part one of the finale, huh?

It was strangely satisfying to see Dark Gunner punch a man in the face.

Granted, it wasn’t a great hit, but Felix wasn’t exactly a pro himself, so he couldn’t really judge.

Still, it was interesting: Miles had been getting into street fights for longer than Felix had been out in the real world and he still sucked at punching people.

As if to prove the inadequacy of the blow, the man staggered backward only slightly and sneered before launching himself back at Dark Gunner.

Felix, sitting on top of a dumpster a few feet away in his full GLITCH attire, gave some halfhearted claps. “Solid 5 out of 10!”

_ “I’d say it was closer to a 4,”  _ Flex chimed in.

Dark Gunner dodged the man’s wild grab and threw a hidden glare in Felix’s direction. “I feel like this isn’t teaching me to value human life any better.”

Then he charged the man and propelled him into the wall of the alleyway. 

Felix grinned as the man slumped down onto the ground. “That’s more like it! And I thought we were gonna do that tomorrow? Isn’t tonight for melee practice?”

The man groaned and struggled back up to his feet, adopting such a weak defensive stance that even Lee would’ve been embarrassed for him. 

Dark Gunner sighed, squared up, and hit the man in the jaw. “I guess it is now.”

Felix let out a cackle and slid down off the dumpster. The man was leaning back against the wall, out of breath. It wasn’t hard to fish the stolen wallet out of his pocket.

The woman that said wallet belonged to hadn’t run off, which kinda surprised Felix. She hardly even reacted to the vigilantes’ presences, just watching silently as the whole thing went down.

Felix tossed her the wallet. “Hey! Wanna call the police or just let him go?”

The woman sighed. “I just wanna go home. You already handled it better than the police would.”

Felix shot a glance at Dark Gunner -- currently trying to melt into the shadows of the alley -- and grinned a bit. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Being used for practice is pretty embarrassing. Anyway, have a safe trip home!”

She stared at him for a few more seconds, then at her attacker. Finally, she shrugged and waved him goodbye, bolting out of the alley and into the relative safety of the city street.

Turning back around revealed that the man in question had passed out. Felix kinda wanted to check if he was okay but he was clearly still breathing.

Plus, Dark Gunner was staring at the ground.

No, not the ground. It was a gun. The one the man had been pointing at the woman when they’d arrived. The only action Felix had taken the entire fight was to disarm the man so that Dark Gunner could fight without a lethal weapon involved.

“What, uh…” Dark Gunner whispered to him, voice barely audible through his mask. “What do you do with weapons post-fight?”

“I usually leave them,” Felix answered, crouching down beside it. “But then again, the cops usually come. It’s not super often I have to deal with a gun on my own.”

“I can take it off ya’ hands,” another voice offered from behind them, making the pair jump.

Felix whirled around, immediately relaxing as he recognized the figure he’d been wanting to see for nearly two weeks now.

Deathwish, Felix’s favorite informant, had somehow snuck up on them.

Well, okay. Part of the reason he hadn’t seen Deathwish since the night they’d overheard Barry Norton’s rallying was because he was too wary to ask for help. That was all on Felix.

But he’d also, genuinely, been too busy to even consider it.

Since Miles had shown up at his window, nearly two weeks ago now, everything had been kicked up a notch. Helping Miles through his crisis occupied a crazy amount of time and that was  _ without _ adding in the HEBS situation and the semester drawing to a close.

Chester had been moderately successful, so far, in trying to recreate what was inside their head. It was all still just blueprints but that was more than Felix had accomplished on his own so he counted it as a win.

Finals were hell. This was actually the first night Felix had gone out the whole week. No matter how important crime-fighting was to him, making sure he didn’t fail his classes was just slightly higher on his list of priorities. But finals were over now and winter break had officially begun. Fitting, considering it was also the winter solstice. Part of Felix hoped his school planned it that way on purpose, given that it was kinda weird the semester had ended on a Thursday if they hadn’t and--

Anyway.

Deathwish was here.

Dark Gunner stiffened up.

Flex wrapped tighter around Felix’s shoulders.  _ “How the--” _

Felix grinned. “Hey, buddy! Long time, no see!”

Deathwish’s mouth, the only part of his face that could be seen clearly, twisted up into a smirk. “So long ya’ made me come an’ find ya’.”

Dark Gunner took a half-step forward toward the informant. “You’re doing a different accent than you do with me.”

Deathwish shrugged. “I see more’a Scarfy so he gets the privilege of hearin’ a familia’ voice.”

Felix put a hand on Dark Gunner’s shoulder and pulled him back a bit. “Beanie-Baby, hey. It’s chill… I thought you two were cool?”

If he could see the glare leveled his way, he probably would’ve shuddered.

“I got info from him once or twice,” Miles explained, an edge to his voice. “Doesn’t mean I trust him.”

“An’  _ that _ attitude is why ya’ don’t get the perks Scarfy does,” Deathwish teased.

_ “Perks? Wait, does he--” _

“Does he charge you!?” Felix asked, finishing his scarf’s question.

Dark Gunner’s shoulders lost some tension. “Does he-- does he not charge  _ you _ ?”

“Anyway!” Deathwish cut in, moving towards them only slightly. “As you said, it’s been a while. I wouldn't’a tracked you down if it wasn’ important.”

Felix had to pry at Flex a little to get him to stop tightening up. “Shoot.”

“Well…” the informant drawled out. “A little bat told me ya’ve been worried about Hellside Harbor recently. Which was news ta’ me, ‘cause I haven’t even heard anythin’ from ‘em lately.”

“How does Magic Bat know you?” Dark Gunner ground out.

“Oh! That’s me!” Felix rushed to placate the other vigilante. “I introduced them…” His friend only looked more put off at that. “Beanie-Baby, it’s fine. You know I wouldn’t have introduced them if I thought it put Batty at risk.”

_ “That’s one of the only things you can be counted on regarding your safety. And it’s not even your own,” _ Flex chided.

“You’re not my mom,” Felix whispered, then turned his attention back to Deathwish. “More importantly, what do you mean?”

“I  _ mean _ ,” Deathwish impressed, voice momentarily dropping the accent, though it was strained enough that he might as well have still been disguising it, “that they ghosted me. Haven’t heard from my contacts in… Weeks. A month, at most.” He cleared his throat and readopted the accent as he continued, “Our little warlock friend found me a few days ago; shared his concerns. Gave me a reason to push a lil’ harder. Finally dug up an ol’ contact from the Crimson Coast days, said she’d been taken in by our Hellside boys. She’s just a runner but even she can tell somethin’s up. They told her to drop all’er plans for the 23rd...”

Dark Gunner had calmed down a surprising amount. Or maybe he was just taking this seriously. “What’s the 23rd?” 

Deathwish shook his head. “Wish I knew, DG. Best I can tell, they’ve been consolidatin’ their power these last few weeks. Tyin’ up loose ends and throwin’ away what’s left ova’. Even some o’ my East Side guys have gone quiet. Whatever they’re doin’, they’re makin’ their move on Saturday.”

Felix looked over at Dark Gunner, who tilted his head. Felix tapped his foot. Dark Gunner shrugged. Felix nodded.

“KeyMaster’s been doing a lot of solo work over on the East Side,” Felix informed Deathwish as he pulled out his phone. “Maybe she beat up the right guy and knows what’s up.”

“You have her phone number?” Deathwish asked, sounding entirely too shocked for someone whose job it was to have people’s phone numbers.

“How else is she gonna insult me when I’m not around?” Felix asked as the phone rang.

It had been a while since he’d talked to Brenna about all this. She was as busy with finals as they were and, on their regular Saturday patrol, she’d barely had any time to discuss it with them. It had been a busy night and she was needed elsewhere, especially now that Miles stuck around Felix a lot more, too afraid to be left alone just yet. 

Tonight, she was already out on the town, patrolling the center of the city with Lee while Felix and Miles handled the West Side. Which was perfect, because if they were discussing this, then Felix wanted Lee there, too.

Brenna promised they’d be there in 10 minutes, which sounded ridiculous to Felix, but he wasn’t going to start doubting her now.

In the meantime, Deathwish suggested they move to a slightly more secure location. There was, after all, a man who would probably start attacking them once he was awake. Smart call.

They didn’t move very far, just a few buildings over and up a fire escape, but Felix still texted Brenna about their new location. One of Magic Bat’s camera-cards got there first. This one didn’t seem to go both ways but Felix grinned and waved at it anyway.

Felix was just starting to get secondhand fear from the way Dark Gunner was glaring at Deathwish -- one day, Felix would figure out how he was so scary even when you couldn’t see his eyes -- when Magic Bat dropped down from the landing above them, KeyMaster following only seconds afterward.

Dark Gunner and Deathwish  _ both _ flinched at Magic Bat’s arrival. Felix, who had been warned by Flex ahead of time, relished the reaction.

“Flyin’ Fox,” Deathwish said as he regained his composure, which was completely nonsensical to Felix until Magic Bat smiled and greeted the informant and--

“Was that a  _ nickname _ ?” Felix absolutely didn’t whine. Professional vigilantes sharing secrets with a somewhat shady info broker didn’t  _ whine _ . 

Deathwish smirked. “Jealous?”

“That’s so not  _ fair _ ,” Felix continued to not-whine. “That’s so  _ good _ . Fuck, I’m so gonna use that.”

KeyMaster nudged him with her elbow. He pouted at her. She readjusted her grip on her key.

“Oh, right, you haven’t met, yet,” Felix realized. He turned to properly show the two off to one another. “Deathwish, this is my good partner in sorta-crime, KeyMaster. Key-Club, this is the info broker I probably shouldn’t trust but do. So, like, you should, too.”

KeyMaster, to her credit, didn’t even argue that messy point. If she had, they could’ve gone back and forth for hours. She just locked her gaze onto Deathwish and asked what he knew, to which he once again explained what he’d managed to dredge up from his depleted web of connections.

When he was done, she relaxed, apparently deeming it true enough to set down her giant key. “Your contacts on the East Side: Greg Wilson, pharmaceutical rep. George Holme and Celine Atwood, city council. Jason Brent, mayor’s personal assistant. Correct?”

Deathwish had frozen stiff. Felix and his team had tensed for an entirely different reason.

After an icy pause, the info broker nodded. “Amon’ otha’s... How--”

“They’re all corrupted,” KeyMaster delivered bluntly. “They’ve either taken bribes or been threatened. What matters is that HH got their claws into them. Sorry, but you’re probably not getting them back.”

Deathwish went silent again before chuckling. “Ya’ know? I got this friend who would love to meetcha... Are ya’ sure?”

“Positive,” KeyMaster confirmed, before straightening up. “Oh, right…”

She opened up her bag and started rummaging around. Felix was about to tell her that, as much as he desperately needed some caffeine, this probably wasn’t the time, when she pulled out a stack of manilla folders and passed them over to Deathwish.

“ _ That _ ,” she began as Deathwish started flipping through the documents, Felix and the rest of his team leaning over to see for themselves, “is some of the evidence I’ve collected. Copies, of course. They won’t notice anything missing. You’ll notice suspicious money movement, erasure of arrest records, scheduled meetings that nobody actually showed up to.”

Deathwish hummed appreciatively before his fingers stilled. “There ain’t no way this should’a fit in ya’ bag.”

Magic Bat smiled sympathetically. “Best not to ask questions like that. Gets you nowhere.”

Deathwish rolled his shoulders, softly muttering, “Right. Sure. Tell the guy who asks questions for a livin’ not to ask questions. The things I do for ya’ people.”

“I have more, of course,” KeyMaster continued. “But I’d rather not risk the flash drives right now. Dark Gunner once dropped his key off of a fire escape and it took an hour to find.”

“It somehow got stuck in a glass bottle in the dumpster below us,” Felix added for context.

“I got to smash it!” Magic Bat beamed.

“It smelled like beer and tobacco for a week,” Dark Gunner complained.

Deathwish looked up from the papers sharply. “Ya’ didn’t fuckin’ sterilize it?”

“We’re lucky he didn’t try to  _ lick _ it clean,” KeyMaster grumbled. “But, more importantly--”

“What the fuck are gonna do?” Felix suggested with a wide grin, nervous energy bleeding out through his fingers in a frankly awesome beat -- if you asked him. “First off, KeyMaster. Any info in all those folders and flash drives on anything going down  _ before _ the 23rd?”

“Wish it were that easy…” KeyMaster breathed out. “No, Scarfbo--  _ GLITCH _ . No, I didn’t get any planning info. Just the paper trails left behind by corruption.”

“Okay, second: None of us have, like, family events we can’t weasel out of that night? Looking at you again, Key.”

She just shook her head. Nobody else raised a complaint.

Felix turned to face their oddly friendly informant. “Deathwish. How desperate you feeling?”

For a few seconds, the night was dead silent. Apart from, of course, distant car horns and Flex’s synthetic guffawing.

“Yer’ not implyin’...” The informant muttered.

_ “What is wrong with you?” _ Flex groaned.

“Oh, I’m implying  _ a lot of things _ ,” Felix stressed, giving his scarf a twirl. “But, well, two days’ notice, no clue what the fuck we’re doing, and options so dismal I’m afraid to even bring them up in front of Key Club? Yeah, I’m implying we could use a little extra oomph.”

Felix flicked a hand in Magic Bat’s direction. The warlock just smiled in return. Felix scrunched up his nose and pulled at his turtleneck collar. Magic Bat froze then, slowly, nodded.

With that confirmation, Felix took a deep, steadying breath. “Besides, won’t be the first time you and I snuck into a bad idea before, right? Unless you’ve already forgotten my face.”

KeyMaster looked like she wanted to slap him. Right -- she was the only one Felix hadn’t overshared about the Crimson coast takedown to. Huh.

Deathwish snorted. “Was wonderin’ if we were eva’ gonna clear that up. I  _ do _ respect a dumbass with a godawful fake name.”

“... So. How long--”

“First time ya’ showed up with the scarf. Ya’ have a  _ very _ distinctive stature,  _ Marty _ .”

“ _ Marty _ ?” Dark Gunner repeated incredulously.

“I  _ know _ , righ’?” Deathwish agreed vehemently.

Of course. The one thing that united even Miles in Dark-Gunner-mode and shady info brokers: Teasing poor, innocent Felix J. Cooper.

At least his pain was for a good cause.

“So what idea am I gonna hate?” KeyMaster interrupted.

Felix nodded. “Right. Okay. It’s, um, a work in progress?”

“Lay it on me.”

“We need an in on Saturday.”

“Right.”

“And honestly, I’d like to get ahead of whatever HH is planning however I can.”

“Sounds smart.”

“So…”

_ “Don’t tell me you’re gonna suggest the-” _

“Yeah, Flex!” Felix snapped. “Yeah, the fucking cops. I was gonna suggest the fucking cops.”

KeyMaster shook her head. “Absolutely not.”

“I know, I know,” Felix tried to placate her. “You hate them -- I don’t really disagree with you. Your diatribes are  _ way  _ too well delivered for me to actually disagree with you... But we literally have someone with direct influence  _ over _ the police on our side right now. If there’s ever a time for giving up a portion of our operation to the law, it’s now.”

_ “Quick, direct purpose!” _ His scarf urged, no doubt seeing KeyMaster’s scowl growing.

“Right, and, it-- It, uh…” Felix clasped his hands together behind his back the second he noticed his nails digging into his palm. “It’ll fuck with HH  _ hard _ if we can get the cops to move on the 23rd. If the names you found get a light shined on them, they’ll think that’s the angle we’re attacking them from. They won’t be expecting us to do something dumb, such as, say, head to their site on Saturday and act like we’re just members of the crowd.”

Deathwish nodded. “I can arrange that. Gimme 24 hours of no sleep an’ I bet I can find our startin’ location. Got a few mo’ favors to cash in with the chief, too. Not that we’ll need ‘em for this, all thin’s considered. Jus’ an exchange.”

KeyMaster’s scowl didn’t abate but she acquiesced nonetheless.

“For the record, I hate this,” she restated as she passed over the rest of her copied info.

“Thanks, Key,” Felix replied, because he knew that was Brenna-speak for  _ You’d better fucking thank me for this or we’re gonna get into a fucking turf war again, Idiot. _

He didn’t mind the implied threat.

Not when there was still work to do.

“Okay, no offense, but…” Felix started off. “Okay, nevermind. Full Offense: KeyMaster, your stealth is shit in that outfit and I doubt you want to flaunt your face. Magic Bat, much the same. Dark Gunner, in light of recent developments, you’re at a disadvantage, combat-wise. Deathwish and I aren’t enough for an infiltration and we’ll need people on the outside anywa--”

_ “Just say it, kid.” _

Felix sighed. “We need some more blondes.”

Another silence passed over the group, only broken by Deathwish’s bemused, “What in the--”

* * *

“You owe us  _ so _ many ice cream cones,” Candor insisted, tugging at the golden straps of his outfit anxiously. “I mean, I love you, Felix, but this is insane.”

“I know,” Felix replied quickly, tucking his bangs up into a spare beanie Miles had leant him.

“And scarves,” Cara chimed in, tugging on one of her ridiculously pink high heel boots. “Once you learn how to make them again. And shut  _ up _ , Candor, you’re not even going in.”

“I can be anxious on your behalf.”

“I  _ know _ . You could stand to worry about yourself, though.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “Hey, I’ve never asked. Those outfits… Why the hell did HEBS have you train in shit that-- that  _ superhero-y _ ?”

Candor hummed, tilting his head as he considered it. “I… don’t know. Some things needed to be specialized, like the holes for my wings. But the aesthetic  _ is _ sorta intense.”

Cara laughed as she started to pull her hair into twin buns instead of her usual ponytails. “ _ My theory _ is that the tailoring department doesn’t have a lot else going on. Plus, I  _ did _ ask for the cat ears on my mask.”

“HEBS has a tailoring department?” Felix asked, then paused and recollected his thoughts. “No, wait, why did they give you masks in the first place?”

“Those were actually your idea!” Cara brightened up. “You were working on these cool lenses to replace your shitty goggles while you were working cause you couldn’t see anything.”

“Oh, yeah,” Candor murmured. “You made your prototype first and the lab techs went insane over it. Dr. Bannerman insisted we all start using them in training to improve our field of vision. Had you make mine even more specialized. God, that was what, two years ago?”

“Something like that,” Cara agreed, tying off her last bun.

“Huh,” Felix oh so eloquently replied, checking to make sure Flex was tightly wrapped around his waist one last time. “That’s… huh. Um… We should, uh, probably get going now.”

* * *

On the 23rd night of December, Felix was ready for some serious vigilanting business, dressed in his absolute least flashy clothes, Flex hidden away under his jacket, face absolutely exposed.

It felt weird, standing among the other dressed up vigilantes without his own gear. He managed to find a good pair of gloves, at least, given they weren’t too conspicuous in the face of the cold. The rest of his standard team were eyeing up Candor and Cara’s outfits, likely coming to some of the same concerns and confusions regarding their origins as Felix had. 

Deathwish, meanwhile, had been on the phone for a solid 15 minutes, directing the police to carry through their plans properly and sprinkling in all sorts of veiled threats, reminders of past favors, and causing some general mayhem. 

He, too, was dressed down compared to the other vigilantes, but he never dressed  _ up _ in the first place, just the same dark hoods and pants, so… it didn’t make Felix feel better.

Down the street from them was a West Side classic -- a fisherman supply store. Felix knew the place was a little sketchy from some of his past patrols through the area but he never would’ve assumed it was a Hellside Harbor base. Mostly, Felix just didn’t trust fishermen.

“Okay,” Deathwish called for their attention, snapping his shitty burner phone shut with way too much dramatic flair. “Fa’ as I can tell, cops got a good 75% of our guys in custody. Shouldn’ be long befo’ the city goes inta’ chaos.”

“Prep time, then,” Magic Bat suggested. “So you guys don’t complain later… Pairs?”

Felix grinned. “Me and Hoodie make one. Dark Gunner’s clearing the way with… shit, um, the… the cat? They’ll both need one, probably.”

“Smooth,” Cara teased but her attention was quickly drawn away by the magical playing card floating next to her head.

“You and Key-Club are ground support,” Felix continued on, accepting his own card and slipping it under his collar so Flex could hold onto it. “We need, um, Bird Boy, in the sky.”

“That’s not allowed to stick, GLITCH,” Candor warned, warily poking the card sent his way.

“Wait, no, seriously now,” Deathwish interrupted, pointing an eyeless glare at the new blondes. “Who are ya’ two and why’re ya’ callin’ ‘im  _ GLITCH _ ?”

“...That’s… his codename?” Candor stuttered out.

“Yah, but nobody  _ calls  _ ‘im that!” Deathwish argued.

“They’re chill,” Felix promised. “They, uh...”

_ “Live with you?” _

“Yeah! They live with me!” Felix continued with Flex’s input, only wincing afterward. 

Deathwish opened his mouth, likely to press further, but KeyMaster cut them off. “Enough! Look!” She pointed down at the street. “It’s getting close to time.”

Sure enough, people were running out of the store down the street, hopping into their parked cars and speeding off in various directions.

“They’ll still have people inside,” Deathwish whispered, fake accent dropping. “But if we can slip past their main security, act like we know what we’re doing, we shouldn’t have too many problems. Based on the layout of the building, I’m betting we either need to get to the third floor or the basement for any big caches and eavesdrop whatever we can along the way.”

“I’ll get in up top,” Cara promised.

Deathwish sighed. “The pink ain’t gonna be a problem?”

Felix nodded at Cara. “See for yourself.”

And-- wow, yeah. It was stupid just how quickly Cara could disappear right in front of your eyes. No matter how close you were watching her, no matter how bright her clothing, if she wanted to be gone, she was gone. Whatever stealth powers she had, it probably didn’t work on security cameras. But that was okay, because Felix had been practicing.

Deathwish refused to comment on the insanity of Felix’s friend group. “Well then, fair enough.”

Frankly, Felix was surprised he and his team didn’t suffocate on laughter right then and there. Even KeyMaster choked on her own breath. Dark Gunner never stood a fucking chance.

* * *

Felix almost wished it took more time to cross over to the shop.

It was daunting, more than most things were, if he was being honest. Brenna had been right about a lot of things in the time since Felix had met her, but frankly, she’s been most on the nose with her little speech about masks giving them the ability to be true to themselves. For all the lies and deceit inherent in literally hiding your identity, most of Felix’s confidence stemmed from his time running around in the mask, with no filter on his bad jokes or nonsensical musings. 

Suddenly losing the mask fucking sucked. He’d forgotten how much he’d hated it the first time. Because the first time had been scarier and so many other ways. Felix had gone for Crimson Coast alone. He had no backup, no allies, no intel, no fucking clue what he was doing. He had two saving graces: The fact that everyone underestimates someone who can easily pass for twelve, and that Deathwish was skulking around.

Felix shouldn’t trust Deathwish, he knew that. And he didn’t, not really. Not in the same way he trusted his team, knowing their moral codes and idiosyncrasies. Really, more accurately, he didn’t  _ know _ Deathwish. He knew next to nothing about the guy and his limits.

But there was one thing Felix knew, without a doubt: For whatever reason, this guy had his back. It was just about the only thing that gave him the confidence, now, to saunter up to the building’s back entrance.

Deathwish was handy with a lockpick, apparently. 

“Remember,” the info broker whispered, typical faux-accent still hushed by his whispered words, though Felix could tell he had lowered his voice by an octave or two anyway -- way less obvious of a disguise than the accent, honestly. “We got here 20 minutes ago. We’re new and a little lost. You’re my little brother and you’re really shy.”

“ _ Hit the nail on the head,” _ Flex remarked, though his tone wasn’t teasing. Felix took the attempted comfort for what it was.

“Let you do the talking, don’t get into any fights,” Felix continued as the lock  _ clicked _ . “I remember. Worked well last time.”

“ _ Well _ is relative,” Deathwish grunted, pulling the door open and gesturing inside, “but sure. And your big brother’s name s--”

“Chris, but I call you Chilly for embarrassing, sibling-related reasons,” Felix answered, slipping in first. “If anyone asks--”

“Say it’s got to do with an ex and leave it at that.”

“You know, I  _ know  _ it’s not,” Felix drawled as they examined the hallway they’d wound up in, placing his hand on the wall and searching through the electrical currents. “But I  _ really  _ hope that’s a real story.”

The hallway was  _ long _ , a few corners in its design, and Felix guessed it spanned the length of the left side of the building. 

_ “Three people behind Door 1,” _ Flex informed him.  _ “Lots of guns. Front lobby is empty. Upstairs is going crazy, probably where people are going for info. Stairwell is in the middle of the building, through a few rooms and another hall. Basement below us _ .”

“See the entrance?” Felix asked, only finding a few wires headed downward.

_ “Not yet. Give me a moment _ . _ ” _

“No problem,” Felix replied. He turned to face Deathwish and quickly relayed the information, tacking on, “No cameras in the hall. Two in the main shop, one in the first room over there, three more on this floor. Four upstairs. So far as I can tell, none in the basement”

Deathwish nodded. “We’ll head upstairs first, glean what we can from the chatter. We need someone to handle security for the basement.

“On it,” Dark Gunner’s voice flowed out from the card, tucked out of sight.  “You guys do your thing up top. I’ll get a headstart.”

“Be careful,” Felix ordered. “No unnecessary risks, Beanie-Baby.”

“Aye aye, Cap’n.”

Cara’s voice came through next.  “Already upstairs. Safe. Listening in.”

“Okay,” Felix breathed out. “Chilly, on me.”

The building’s layout wasn’t  _ too  _ confusing. Surely, Felix would’ve been lost even a few months ago, before he’d learned how to follow the lines of electricity. With his power, though, it was a breeze.

… Plus, there was a fair bit of satisfaction to be gained by hearing the odd, quiet curse from Miles as he failed to find his way around as easily. Small comforts, and all that.

Eventually, they made their way up the stairwell -- which was entirely too creaky, if you asked Felix -- and walked, as casually as they could manage to the closest congregation of people.

And, oh boy.

It was like a tornado had swept through the room. What had once clearly been well-organized weaponry and files had been haphazardly grabbed and dropped into any given spot. A few guys were rushing around, barking frantic orders into their phones, and even more on the sidelines, frantically gathering together their equipment. Then there were some, mostly waiting in hallways or spare rooms, who just looked bored, confused, scared, or some cross between the three.

Not everyone was necessarily here by choice, Felix remembered as Deathwish nudged his line of sight over to a woman leaning against the right wall, someone who’s popped up in Brenna’s files as blackmailed. Her presence was simultaneously depressing and relaxing, especially combined with the state of the place.

Their plan  _ had _ to be working. Surely, this place wasn’t usually so haphazard? Felix was under the opinion that if you had filing cabinets, you  _ probably _ used them.

Even if it was for ammunition and drug smuggling instead of paperwork.

Deathwish caught his attention as he made his way over to a rather aggrieved-looking, older man who’d just gotten off the phone. “Hey! You Bill?”

“The hell I am,” Not-Bill snapped, appraising Deathwish with a scowl. “Who’re you?”

“Ah, dammit,” Deathwish shook his head. “You looked like Bill for a moment. He’s the one who got me to come here; said he’d explain later. You know where he is?”

“I don’t know all of our recruiters, newbie,” Not-Bill rolled his eyes. “You won’t find him now, anyway. Shit’s going down, plans changing.”

“Plan?” Deathwish pushed.

“Don’t matter no more. Just hang back or go home.”

“Hey wait, no, man!” Deathwish complained. “Bill said I could help and I wanna help! Look, my brother and I, we don’t need to get in your way. We’ll play intern, even. You guys want water? Coffee? Anything to keep things going, man.”

Not-Bill’s eyes drifted over to Felix, who immediately gave his very best Magic Bat smile. Not-Bill’s glare softened -- Score!

“This is no place for kids,” he tried.

“Man, who do you think I’m gonna leave him with? Last time I did that, he set the kitchen sink on fire,” Deathwish went on. “Bill said this was a paying job, even if it ain’t much. I need what I can get.”

Not-Bill seemed to finally relent. “Listen, I appreciate the moxy, but this is a bad time. We got a snitch and the cops are taking us down. We already got guys out searching. Rest of us are working on a reduced operation.”

“Reduced?” Deathwish asked. “You let this snitch ruin your operation?”

“Not ruin, we just gotta prioritize. Won’t be as, ah, effective overall. But we’re still heading for the big guns. No place for a kid. Wherever Bill is, he shoulda made that clear.”

“Not enough, apparently,” Deathwish played along. “Sorry man, but I appreciate ya’ for the--” he waved his hand around a bit, “--explanation. Still, if there’s anything you need from me, messages or snacks or whatever, I could always use a quick buck.”

“Whatever, man, do what you want. Just don’t get in the fucking way or you’ll end up with a hole in your heart,” Not-Bill warned them before stalking off.

“Get all that?’ Felix muttered into his shirt. 

He couldn’t hear the reply that came through the card, but Flex passed along the affirmation.

“So, change of plans,” Deathwish whispered as he led them back out of the room, “Fun.”

“A change from what to what?” Felix asked. “Did they just reduce their number of targets?”

“Funnel more forces into their main target,” Deathwish agreed and they made their way into a spare storage room, devoid of cameras. “Now we just gotta know who.”

“Well, I can’t tell you the target is,” Cara’s voice popped up from behind them, scaring them both half to death as they spun around to face her. “But I got some details on the guy in charge of all this.”

“Fuck, C-- Cat?” Felix stuttered out, certain that Deathwish was able to guess what letter her real name started with by now. “We don’t  _ all  _ have nine lives.”

_ “Debatable,” _ Flex pointed out.

“ _ Please _ don’t start,” Felix whispered. “I have enough trauma as it is.”

Cara ignored his Flex-tangent. “Some guy, Mose, is in charge here. Don’t think he’s like, the  _ boss _ boss, but they seem to all listen to him.”

“Shit,” Deathwish swore. “Yeah, Mose…  _ Shit _ . From what I can tell, he’s pretty high up the ranks. He’s  _ here _ ?”

“Last I heard, he went down to get his shit together and head off to the main operation,” Cara confirmed. “Could be gone by now.”

“Downstairs, like the basement?’ Felix asked, receiving a nod. “Okay. Okay. How ya’ doing, Beanie-Baby?”

“Fine. Got a guy, down here.” 

“A guy?” 

“Nerdy type, shit fighting, talks a lot. You’d like him,” Miles confirmed.

Felix grinned. “Well, then, I have to meet him. We’ll be right down.”

“Cat,” Deathwish started and-- Oh, okay, guess we’re going with  _ Cat, _ after all, huh? “Get us downstairs?”

“Easy,” Cara confirmed, already half slipping from their sight. “Just stay close,  _ Chilly _ .”

“Regretting  _ Chilly _ ,” Deathwish informed them as they took off toward the stairs.

“Six months too late, buddy,” Felix informed him, prompting Cara to giggle, which was good, cause he’d already lost sight of her.

Making it downstairs again was, in fact, easy. Making it to the basement wasn’t quite as simple.

_ “Kid, found it,”  _ Flex announced as they reached their primary hallway.  _ “Bad news, you gotta go through the store. The easier path is blocked off by well-armed guards.” _

Felix nodded, gathering Cara and Deathwish’s attention. “Store it is, then. I’ll handle the cameras. Cat, need you to distract anyone in there to let us pass through.”

“On your cue,” Cara replied.

The main shop, thankfully, was separated from their position by a staff entrance door, giving them enough time to slip Cara through and wait.

It took about a minute for the sound of many, many fishing poles to come tumbling down. Felix was also pretty sure he heard some glass break.

Seven more seconds, the door opened.

Felix couldn’t quite see Cara, but he knew what was up, quickly dragging Deathwish with him across the shop, following Flex’s instructions and Cara’s footsteps to the right exit on the other side of the room, barely stopping to notice the clean-up effort already underway by the cashiers.

They ended up in another hallway, shorter and darker than the first. A quick probe at the electric current led Felix around a corner and over to a bookcase.

“Oh,  _ fuck yes _ ,” Felix chirped, quickly following the pathway to the right switch. “This is the best day ever!”

“No. No way…” Deathwish muttered.

“Way,” Felix confirmed, pulling on a book and watching as the bookcase slid aside revealing a hidden stairway. “Oh, Beanie-Baby, I cannot thank you enough for not spoiling that.”

“I do my best,” Dark Gunner answered, from the card.  “Still, no fucking clue why it’s in a bait shop.”

“Bit fishy, yeah,” Felix jested, though it was, actually, a very good point. For another time.

“What? What happened?” KeyMaster asked, speaking up for the first time.  Is everything okay?”

“More than,” Felix confirmed, following Cara’s lead as she bounced down the stairs. “We’ll tell you all about it later. Promise.”

This stairway was even fucking creakier than the first, somehow. Each step felt like it may give out from under him. Cara didn’t seem to mind, but even Deathwish was clearly unsettled.

“No railings…” Deathwish muttered as they trudged down. “If the smuggling and illegal firearms don’t get this place shut down, the OSHA violations will.”

“We’re going down kinda far,” Felix observed. “How do you even get a secret basement built? I’d kinda like one.”

_ “Don’t start on secret basements again,” _ Flex begged.

“I will talk about secret basements as much as I want to, excuse you,” Felix shot back. “They’re important to me. Besides the fact that I don’t actually remember ever talking about them before.”

_ “Lucky you.” _

“Hey, Cara called up to them, prompting them to double their pace. “Dark Gunner definitely went through here.”

Felix, for a brief moment, was terrified of what he’d see. Miles hadn’t  _ sounded _ off over the card, and Felix hadn’t heard any gunshots, but what if--

Then he reached the bottom and saw what Cara was talking about and breathed a sigh of relief. Sure, there was some blood, but no bodies. Well, dudes who were clearly passed out, and some suspiciously trembling doors, almost like someone had been stuffed inside and couldn’t get out. But nobody was dead and Felix took that win and held it close.

Following the admittedly scarce trail of blood led them to the last room on the right.

Dark Gunner was inside, pacing back and forth in front of a man he’d tied to a chair. He looked up at them and gave a small wave. Before joining  _ that _ joyous scene, Felix figured it was as good a time as any to fish his mask out from his back pocket and slap it on, at long last.

The guy in the chair himself clearly hadn’t put up a fight, given how  _ not _ beat up he was. He was just sorta sitting there, trembling, mousy eyes darting back and forth from the newcomers to Dark Gunner.

“Ya’ got ‘im ta’ talk?” Deathwish inquired, switching back to his usual fake voice.

“Don’t really know what it means,” Dark Gunner shrugged.

“Hold on, what’d he  _ say _ , though?” Felix asked.

Dark Gunner just gestured at the guy.

Deathwish took the invitation, not bothering to get close, instead standing beside Dark Gunner in the shadows of the room.

“Righ’, okay. What’s ya’ name?”

The guy squirmed. “To-- Tony.”

“Okay, Tony,” Deathwish started off. “Now, ya’ gonna tell me whatever ya’ told my friend with the stupid knife ova’ there, got it? An’ anythin’ more I wanna know.”

“There’s-- There’s not a lot,” Tony insisted. “You just-- you wanna know about the plans though, right? But they changed. Mose told me so himself. Took off real fast.”

Deathwish nodded along. “Yah, they changed a bit. But not too much. Just tell me who the biggest target was, okay?”

Tony twisted around, gaze wild like he thought someone else was watching in. Or maybe he’d just lost track of Cara -- Felix had.

“I-- well, I just run the guys their stuff, okay? But yeah, they were, uh, they were planning on killing a lot of people tonight. Political stuff. Anyone who, well, who liked you guys.”

Deathwish hummed. “Their plans changed. Guess ya’ can tell it wasn’ a snitch.”

“...yeah, getting that.”

“So, who’s left, Tony?”

But Tony seemed even more nervous, now. “Look, they don’t like us saying the target’s names, so-- so they just had us call him the Big One, you know?”

“You don’t know who he actually is?” Dark Gunner cut in

Tony shook his head for no, but it was stilted, and a sinking sensation filled Felix’s gut.

“Tony,” he spoke up. “Mose and his guys. Where did they head off to? The East Side?”

Another nod.

“If--” Felix broke off, gathering his thoughts. “Tony. Are they going for the mayor?”

Over the card, Felix could hear Brenna’s sharp intake of breath.

Tony froze. “I-- they-- They wouldn’t say his name, but--”

“You think that’s who it is?”

Tony squeezed his eyes shut, nodding nonetheless. “They said the address. I looked it up.”

“This time’a nigh’, the mayor’s prolly at home, but he  _ could _ be at his office,” Deathwish rattled off, oblivious to the truth of the situation. “Either way, we need’ta get to the other side’a town, an’ fast. The cops definitely dunno abou’ this. Scarfy?”

Felix looked over at Dark Gunner, frozen as stiff as Felix felt, before bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, trying desperately to chase away the stress headache that was coming on.

_ “...Fuck,”  _ Flex commented, not very helpfully.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, buddy.”


	26. [What Happens at the End]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> pt 2 of finale.   
> also for returning readers, please heed change of tags :)  
> let's do this

Felix only gave himself 10 seconds for it all to soak in.

2 seconds. He hated his life just a little more than he usually did.

5 seconds. He kinda wanted to punch something. He managed to hold back.

7 seconds. How the fuck were they gonna get to the East Side in time to help?

10 seconds. Oh fuck.  _ Oh fuck, Brenna. _

“Chilly,” he barked out, whirling to face Deathwish, any amusement drawn from the name vanishing before it even graced his tongue. “Don’t know how; don’t  _ care _ how: Get us a ride.”

Deathwish nodded, already moving to the side of the room to make some calls.

Felix turned to face Cara, “I need you to go clear a way out for us. Don’t care what you break, just make a path and signal to the others.”

Cara nodded, already spinning away and vanishing from their perception.

“Beanie-Baby,” Felix gestured over to tied-up-Tony. “Knock him out, please.”

Dark Gunner didn’t need to be told twice.

Felix took a deep breath, moving as far away from Deathwish as he could, and pulled the card out to speak directly into it. “Key…”

“I’m coming with you,” his friend replied, already anticipating his words.  “You can’t stop me, GLITCH.”

Hm. Okay. Any name, no matter how cool, can sting in place of something familiar. Cool…

“Can you stop  _ yourself _ ?” Felix asked, stealing a glance at a curious Dark Gunner. “Key, believe me: I know you’re probably panicking, deep down. But really stop to think about it, please.”

“This isn’t a fucking discussion--”

“Have you ever talked to him like this, before?”

“GLITCH…” she drew out warningly.

“Key, come on, even if he doesn’t recognize you --  _ you _ \--” Felix pressed, “can you say, without a shadow of a doubt, that you’ll be able to stay calm? And whatever might happen-- If it goes bad--”

“I might not want to see it?”

Felix winced and he knew --  _ he knew  _ \-- she couldn’t see his face through the card, but his mask was a warm safeguard upon his expression, nonetheless. “If you insist, then I can’t argue. But please, just think it through. You’re the smarter one, between the two of us. So, you tell me.”

“...we both know that’s not always true… I hate this.”

“I know,” Felix assured her. “But I’ll do my best. I promise.”

“I  _ hate _ this,” she repeated.  “Just… be there, okay? Whatever happens: Be there.”

“On it,” Felix promised. “Um, Cat’s coming up to signal you guys. I want you and the rest to handle this place -- there’s a lot of weapons, here. Probably wait for the cops? But honestly, I don’t think you’ll do any more damage than they will, so -- go wild, I guess.”

“I’m staying, too,” Dark Gunner interrupted, drawing closer to Felix and his card. “I… I’ll be more help, here.”

Felix knew what he was actually saying: He wanted to be there for Brenna. It’d be sweet if Felix had the time for acknowledging it.

Either way, it caused another problem. “Deathwish and I aren’t enough…”

“I’ll come, then,”  Magic Bat offered.  “I’m good at handling the victims. Meet you outside?”

Felix couldn’t help but smile, a little. “Sounds good. And you could use some time on the East Side, probably. You’re in. See you soon and… collect your cards. We’ll need all we can get.” True to Felix’s orders, the card in his grip wriggled out and zoomed off. Another whizzed past him, this one from Miles, moments later. “Beanie-Baby, coordinate at your will, but stay out of sight from the cops, got it? I don’t think even Deathwish will keep you safe.”

“Like I need to be told that,” Dark Gunner snarked. “But… yeah. Good luck.”

“Marty!” Deathwish called out, snapping his burner shut. “Some friends o’ mine got us a ride an’ most’a the force has been made aware o’ this little hideout, now. Shit’s crazy, though. They’ll prioritize the mayor, but we gotta get movin’.”

Felix nodded, turning to Miles one last time. “Good luck to you, too.”

_ “Cara’s got the way cleared,”  _ Flex informed him.  _ “Go for it.” _

With barely a gesture between them, Felix and Deathwish raced back up the stairs, out of a mess and into a shit show. Magic Bat was, indeed, waiting for them outside, wordy shining through the blur of his features. Felix just ushered him along as Deathwish led them to their ride.

And-- Oh boy.

“Tell me you actually know how to drive that thing?” Felix asked, voice hushed as he appraised the police-motorcycle Deathwish was collecting the keys for.

  
“Well-enough,” Deathwish confirmed, which did not reassure Felix in the slightest. “But it won’ matter. Offica’ Tyler here’ll keep us afloat.”

_ Officer Tyler  _ being the confused, tired-looking police officer Deathwish had taken the keys from. She was pretty young, as far as adults went, and she definitely didn’t seem to know why she was loaning her bike, pulled straight out from her van, to three literal criminals.

Felix didn’t really care. “Officer, got the memo? You’re escorting us to the mayor’s house.”

Officer Tyler just shrugged. “Sure, whatever. Long as I don’t get fired.”

And yeah, any other night, Felix would make a mark about  _ that _ marker of corruption, but it  _ so _ wasn’t his priority right now. “Sweet. Let’s go… I’ll handle the traffic, you guys just drive  _ fast _ .”

Deathwish and Magic Bat both glanced his way questioningly, shrugging it off when Felix simply shrugged and watched Officer Tyler start up her car.

“Hop on,” Deathwish said, securing the only helmet they’d been given over his hood, hiding his face even more efficiently than before -- Felix couldn’t even see the guy’s mouth, now.

Hopping on was definitely a bad idea. Three people on one bike was bound to be a disaster. 

Magic Bat was already handling that, though. Once they’d all awkwardly squeezed onto the bike, the warlock had taken out a line of cards and circled it around them, tightening in and strapping them down to the bike.

Felix barely managed to send his warlock a grateful smile before Deathwish sped off.

He’d like to say that he knew what he was doing, really, but he didn’t. Some of his tech powers made sense, and some didn’t seem like they ever would. Typically, proximity to whatever he was working with helped, but those limits seemed to fade away as his focus narrowed in on the traffic lights ahead of them on their route. He could feel, more keenly than per usual, the flow of energy beneath the streets.

In just under a minute’s time, he’d already tripped the sensors for the next few blocks -- not giving them green lights, though. They had the flashing siren of Officer Tyler’s van for that. No, instead Felix made sure there were no stragglers, redirecting the flow of traffic around their path. The streets weren’t empty, though. Here and there they’d pass by the remnants of their plan: Police still making arrests, questioning those still around. Blue and red flashing on the city streets. It faded in frequency as they made their way through the heart of the city before growing again as they approached the East Side.

They were too far south to pass by  _ Popchester’s _ , but north enough not to pass through the suburbs. In fact, Felix noticed a road the city bus he took to school went down every morning. Somehow, thinking about school at night was even weirder than not having his mask on, earlier.

_ Shit _ , he cursed himself internally.  _ Priorities, Cooper. _

So he kept his mind as focused as possible, catching the lights before they became a problem, ignoring the city as it flashed red and blue.

* * *

Brenna Soverin, unsurprisingly, lived in the absolute most bougie part of town. It was the sort of rich-people neighborhood where you could barely see the houses your neighbor lived in thanks to both the distance and the curve of the hills, every property guarded by its own gated fence, long driveway, and daunting architecture.

Not that intimidation factor did much to combat a semi-truck to the front gate.

“Holy fuck,” Felix breathed out, slipping off the bike as soon as Magic Bat’s cards loosened. The truck itself was ever so slightly on fire and some buried, frightened part of himself shied away from the flame.

Officer Tyler launched herself out of her car and stared at the wreck with wide eyes. “He’s… definitely here, not his office. Backup will take a few minutes -- fifteen at most… Jesus…”

_ “Busy night,” _ Flex commented, which didn’t actually help a lot, given whose fault that was. 

“With any luck, this is our last stop,” Felix assured, more for himself than his scarf, before breaking off in a sprint toward the house.

Well. “House” was kinda an understatement. Felix didn’t know exactly what qualified as a mansion but he had a feeling this was a contender. The front doors, ostentatious as the entire neighborhood combined, were blown open to the, ugh, the  _ grand foyer _ . 

But Felix didn’t know the house’s layout -- the one definite benefit he would have gained by bringing KeyMaster along -- so he crashed to a halt in the  _ grand foyer _ , carefully observing his surroundings. 

Deathwish, Magic Bat, and even their officer for the night followed him in.

“Where to?” Magic Bat whispered to Deathwish, who had yet to remove his helmet. The guy’s shrug was no more than Felix had expected.

And Felix, well, he was already kinda tired. The traffic stunt had already taken a toll. 

But this was Brenna’s  _ dad _ and her  _ home _ . So he pretended he’d drunk way more coffee than he actually had today and got to work.

Stretching out his senses in an unfamiliar place was always interesting. Different internet speeds moved differently, different security systems and appliances left different tangs on his tongue, different static raced up his spine. 

There were three fucking computers in the building. Only one of them was on. Half of the lights were off, mostly on the lower floors. Fuck,  _ why  _ were there three floors?

But there! There was WiFi. Two phones were connected to it, barely functional but still on. Same room as the computer.

Third fucking floor. Dammit.

Felix gasped for breath as he came back to himself, refusing to let his vision spin. Instead of giving in to his mounting fatigue, he pulled Flex out from under his jacket and held the scarf ready for combat.

“This way,” he barked out to his companions before taking off, once again, up the main stairs.

There were three men on the second floor, in between the group and the next flight of stairs. Felix would later admit that they were  _ sort of _ familiar, if he squinted, but at the time, all he cared to do was land a quick blow to the shortest one’s nose.

They were off without further conflict, though he vaguely remarked that the guy he punched said his buddies names  _ way _ too much.

But he wasn’t here to criticize strangers, so he kept his mouth shut and led his group across the floor to the next staircase, not even caring that only Magic Bat could keep up with him.

Their destination sat at the far right side of the floor, the last door on the end of a long hallway, pressed up against the front of the house. The door was shut but Felix could hear voices drifting out from the cracks.

“...I swear, I swear, I don’t know where she is,” a man's voice, wavering, and quiet, reached his ears as Deathwish and Officer Tyler caught up with them. “She said she was studying tonight.”

“Schools out.” Another man, much louder and much,  _ much _ angrier. “The fuck could she be studying for?”

“Does it matter?” A woman’s voice, cold and sterile. “She’s not here. So what?”

“Mayor’s daughter ain’t home,” Deathwish informed them, voice kept subtle, unaware this fact was well-known to the vigilantes present. “Lucky her. Sounds like nobody’s been shot yet, too.”

“This Mose guy,” Felix started. “You got anything on him?”

“Not much,” Deathwish admitted as the argument in the room grew louder. Other members were cutting in, convinced they should either send someone out to track Brenna down, or to check the house again, or to just get the job done already and worry about it later. “Know he’s pretty high up. Probably knows the boss on a first-name basis. Shockingly light criminal record, given he has absolutely murdered people.”

A loud bang, a fist against a wall, called their priorities into focus.

“I hate to ask,” Felix whispered, hand inching closer to the doorknob, “but are you willing to head in with us, here? This wasn’t exactly what you signed up for tonight.”

“Call it a vendetta for fuckin’ with my guys, if you wanna,” Deathwish answered softly, “or a sudden moral backbone… But I said I’d help ya’ out and I’m already here, Scarfy. On ya’mark.”

Felix nodded. “Batty, Officer, stay back a moment. And, ah, Officer? Don’t come in unless you have to? Not to be an asshole, but I don’t really trust you.”

Her nod was the last assurance Felix needed to force the door open, barely recognizing he’d just busted through the lock with sheer force, forcing a manic grin onto his face. “Heya, shitbags!”

All guns in the room were immediately aimed at him, which was honestly a pretty good thing, given that meant none of them were pointed at the civilians anymore. All in all, Felix guessed there were upwards of 20, maybe 25.

Behind the desk, tucked against the left wall, was the man Felix clearly recognized from TV as the mayor, though his usual press-smile was nowhere to be found, lips instead curled up with fear and shock. Just next to him was, presumably, his wife, features sharp and expression surprisingly annoyed, overall. The worst injury either of them had was the smear of blood across Mr. Soverin’s temple, but he was still upright, so Felix could only assume he was mostly okay.

Felix didn’t bother analyzing the rest of the room, focusing solely on the only guy  _ not _ wearing a ski mask; the tall figure standing dead in the middle, right in front of the doorway. His gun was trained on Felix alongside everyone else's, though it felt like less of a threat than the man’s sneer, arrogance dripping off its corners and turning his cold eyes hard.

“Well I’ll be damned,” the guy leered. “If that fugly-ass scarf is what I think it is, you must be Scarfboy.”

“It’s GLITCH, now, actually,” Felix corrected instinctively, before realizing how utterly wasted those words were and reorienting himself. “Mose, I’m assuming?”

“Guilty,” Mose shrugged, gun lilting with the gesture.

“Clearly,” Felix rebutted, attention drawn back over to the mayor and sending the man a reassuring smile. “Mr. Soverin! Hope I’m not too late?”

“Don’t you fucking talk to him!” Mose snapped, gun brought back up to full force. “Who else is with you?”

“Jus’ me,” the info broker called out, stepping through the doorway and, to his credit, he only stood behind Felix a  _ little _ . “We’ve neva’ had the pleasa’ o’ meetin’, Mose. Ya’ colleagues’ll know me as Deathwish.”

“Ohh,” Mose drew out, readjusting his aim. “The double-crossing informant, of course. Not like I took care of your little buddies or anything.”

“So you were the  _ genius _ behind that too, then?” Felix snarked, mostly for the effect. “Some great plan, considering it didn’t work that well, did it?”

“Now  _ that _ ,” Mose offered his aim back to Felix's head, “remains to be seen, doesn’t it? Killing the two of you will definitely make up for the losses of the night… which I’m betting are also your faults.”

Flex tightened around his hand.

“Guilty,” Felix parroted, glancing around the room. “Man, I know rich people kinda suck but is this really necessary? You're not here for money -- I saw that secret door at your meet-up spot,  _ really  _ cool but requires a  _ lot _ of power, by my, ah, estimation. Plus, you could rob  _ anyone  _ without putting a bullet in their head. So what gives? Just cause this guy was chill with vigilante justice?”

“Not to mention,” Deathwish cut in, “the risk facta’. Killin’ the mayor? Ya’ really think that’ll stay low-profile? There’s no way out o’ that for ya’ gang, Mose.”

“This ain’t about the gang!” Mose yelled at them, arrogance melting into fury. “Sure, we wanted to get rid of some Bloody Bones holdovers and fuck up any threats tonight.  _ You _ ruined that. So here we are: The mayor has publicly endorsed you assholes, nevermind the fact that your gunman takes our men out like it’s going out of style. If your biggest fan gets taken out, you really think the city will have the guts to keep protecting you?”

Felix couldn’t help but think about his friends at school. Brody, passionately defending the vigilantes, Ash and Jett soaking it all up. Jade, letting a virtual stranger into her home and giving him coffee, just cause she had enough reason to like him. He thought about Juliana, months ago, criticizing the vigilantes out of concern, not out of malice.

The fansites against the apathetic police. 

Yeah, Felix  _ did _ think they’d keep going, even if the mayor died. And that was sorta the problem because they probably  _ shouldn’t _ .

In Felix’s silence, Deathwish kept going. “An’ me? I’m not a vigilante. The general population doesn’t even know about me. Why’m I in ya’ crosshairs?”

“Cut the crap, everyone knows whose side you’re really on,” Mose rolled his eyes. “You’re new, huh? I remember the last guy. Now he--  _ he _ was a winner. Actually did his job if you paid him right.  _ You _ don’t even charge some of these fuckers. Word got around, eventually, jackass. Really, gotta thank you for killing Crimson Coast, gave us all the boost we needed. Shame we can’t let the same happen to us.”

Apparently, whatever that meant was far more infuriating than the vitriol he’d been spouting off before because he took the shot at Deathwish right then and there.

There was nothing Felix could as Deathwish flinched back, but it turned out, he didn’t need to lift a finger. Because Deathwish didn’t fall down.

The bullet, a foot from Deathwish’s helmet, crumpled up and fell to the floor.

A slight shift in angle revealed to Felix exactly what had stopped it: A floating, black and gold playing card.

Oh, he owed Lee however much coffee the dude could ask for.

_ “Since when are those bulletproof?” _ Flex asked, the only noise Felix could hear above the ringing in his ears. He could only hope the room was actually shocked into silence and that it wasn’t just wishful thinking.

“What the  _ ffgh _ \--” Mose started off but his voice went nowhere, courtesy of another one of Lee’s cards flying in and covering his mouth.

Truth be told, Felix kinda had to respect the trigger discipline of the other lackeys in the room, given nobody had taken a shot in panic. Their mistake, honestly.

Magic Bat could handle himself, Felix kept in mind as the warlock all but flew into the room. Felix dodged around Deathwish to confront the nearest lackey, wasting no time disarming him. 

He could afford to focus.

“Mayor!” Felix ground out to Deathwish. Thankfully, the informant seemed to understand Felix’s meaning, weaving around Felix’s opponent over to Brenna’s dad.

Flex really came in handy, Felix found, when it came to smacking guns away. The guns could, of course, be picked up again, so Felix did his best to knock the guys out quickly, giving as much cover to Deathwish as he could.

There was an awful lot of gunfire in the room, now. Nobody in his line of sight was getting shot, though, nor was he. He tried to ignore it, focusing on the next guy in Deathwish’s way.

… He couldn’t focus, fully, but that's okay. Felix was a multitasker, striving to have better situational awareness. It was good practice, then, to glance over his shoulder, really. Honestly.

Magic Bat wasn’t doing  _ great _ , he noticed. Granted, he seemed to be handling the guns well, immediately blocking them up with his cards and making them  _ fucking explode _ when the guys tried to fire. Nice.

Not so nice: Lee Haverhill was  _ not _ a particularly strong guy, even when transformed and all. There way too many guys over there for him to handle alone for too long.

Felix came back to his own plight when he took a hit to the face. The guy in front of him was faster than expected but still, nothing like a good Flex to the jaw to stun someone.

Deathwish made it to the mayor and his wife, finally. Neither of them seemed stoked about his presence, the wife, in particular, refusing to budge.

“...with this pathetic little display?” Felix overheard the woman saying. “We’d be better off jumping out the window.

_ “So that’s where Brenna gets her charm from,” _ Flex commented, mid-swing at Felix’s third current opponent. Felix refused to laugh.

Still. Not great.

Also not great: Mose finally stopped trying to rip the card off his mouth. Either he’d go make things worse on Magic Bat, or he’d help Brenna’s mother torment Deathwish.

“--your little friend over there is barely making a dent!” Mrs. Soverin was still barking at the informant. “If you three were  _ competent _ , you’d have the police here by now--”

Well then. A moment of silence for any hopes Felix had that Brenna got along better with her mom than her dad. 

Felix bit the bullet, deciding he could handle it. “Hey, Mose! Bat’s got your tongue? Or did you already forget what this was  _ about _ ?”

Bingo! An angry Mose was now charging, gun at the ready. A solid kick diverted the subsequent gunfire, though Mose was, in fact, decently strong, so hand-to-hand was still a bitch.

A guy behind Felix gripped his arm tight, yanking him closer for a hit. The vigilante brought Flex up for defense, wrapping around the guy’s wrist and using the force of the guy's punch to bring him to the ground. 

The mayor was placating, now, though Felxi couldn’t tell who was being placated. Deathwish was no doubt wearing thin, too.

Getting backed up into a wall wasn’t really a problem for Felix -- it wasn’t hard to use the structure to his advantage, propelling up and over one of his opponents and slamming  _ him _ into the wall instead. The study’s window shattered across the room -- Felix barely registered the card in front of him, having ricocheted the bullet.

So now the winter air was creeping in, clashing with the heat of a fight. The guys Felix had initially knocked down were stumbling back to their feet. Deathwish was sort of getting the civilians to start creeping along the edge of the wall towards the door and--

And Magic Bat went down.

Felix didn’t catch the initial blow but it must have been to the head, ‘cause when he went down, he  _ stayed _ down. His body crumpled to the hardwood floor, fancy rugs doing  _ nothing _ to cushion the fall. Magic Bat dropped and he didn’t get back up.

It seemed like everything was yelling -- the gang members, Brenna’s mother, the electricity surging through the walls -- but that Felix couldn’t hear any of it.

Lee went down and Felix heard the  _ thump _ of his head on the floor.

And that split second, no matter how slow it felt, was long enough for Felix to lose his edge.

Two pairs of hands threw him to the ground, Flex breaking his fall, but it didn’t matter.

There was more yelling. Deathwish got grabbed, pulled over, and shoved to his knees next to Felix. It didn’t matter.

Flex was-- Flex got tugged off, flailing wildly in his captor’s arms and it couldn’t matter.

Mose was-- Mose was talking again. The card had fallen off, scattered on the floor with 52 others. They must have all dropped with Lee.

He hadn’t detransformed, but that was barely a silver lining. 

Mose was saying  _ something _ and Felix really should be listening, he knew. It was probably some villain speech about his triumph and next plans. Deathwish was snapping back at him, and Felix wanted to tell him to shut up, that the last time he’d backtalked he’d almost gotten shot and now Lee wasn’t gonna save him because--

Because there was blood. There was blood, pooling just under Lee’s head, muddying his hair.

There was blood and Felix couldn’t  _ breathe _ \--

Someone was shaking him. It wasn’t the guy holding him down.

Deathwish-- It was Deathwish. He’d shimmied closer. He was trying to get his attention.

Felix couldn’t  _ hear _ what he was saying. In his periphery, Mose was aiming a gun at-- something. Probably the mayor. He was talking and Felix couldn’t hear a word.

But Deathwish was shaking him, his knee to Felix's shoulder, hunched over to say something, too. Felix, fuck, he  _ wanted _ to hear it. Might be some of the last friendly words he’d ever hear.

It was-- It was just--

“Scarfy!” Hissed out through gritted teeth, quiet and forceful. “Scarfy, snap the fuck out of it!”

Great. Getting cursed at. Always a fun time.

“Scarfy?” Softer now, more concerned, Felix was pretty sure. Then, sharper: “GLITCH!”

Felix still couldn’t turn to face him.

“Marty?” A fake name -- made almost a year ago, now. It barely even registered as a word.

Mose flashed his guna round a little bit, obviously having said something he thought witty.

The blood-- it wasn’t growing too much, but  _ any  _ blood was too much.

Felix only knew Deathwish got even closer when the guy's helmet bumped against the floor.

And then-- “ _ Felix _ !”

It was like getting set on fire.

Felix whipped his head around, nerves frayed and brain screaming. Deathwish was staring at him the best he could with his face obscured, and behind him, the mayor was hugging his wife. But that didn’t matter ‘cause  _ Deathwish knew his name _ .

He was on fire. His skin itched, his eyes stung, his bones were dry. If he spoke, only gibberish would pop off from his tongue. He was on fire and it seeped into his everything, rewriting his priorities in an instant.

_ Any _ blood was  _ enough _ blood.

He was on fire but so was the room. So was the house. So was-- So was the whole  _ world _ . It was all an inferno of signals, electric pulses, charged air, and madness.

And Felix was mad. He was angry. And so, the world welcomed him.

Everything  _ buzzed _ . 

The man holding him had a watch, a digital one. Felix barely had to prod it for it to light up, sparking off and shocking the man’s hands away from him.

His scream alerted the rest of the room, the remaining guns all suddenly trained on him, but guns sucked when you couldn’t see, so within a breath, the lights all went out.

The moonlight barely filtered through the clouds or in through the window. It was dark, so dark, but Felix didn’t need the light to see. Everyone in the room had  _ something _ : Phones, flashlights, key fobs, Bluetooth earbuds, fucking  _ pagers _ , somehow.

Everyone had something and Felix lit them all up too.

Yelling and gunshots turned into ringtones and high pitched whirring of overheated phones as Felix made a mad dash across the room, finding Flex like a lighthouse in the dark, tackling the man restraining the scarf. Throat punches were especially handy, there.

Flex in hand, Felix ducked low, avoiding the wild strikes from those who’d heard their ally go down. And down low seemed good, really, cause it gave Felix the perfect height to strike at everyone's knees.

Now, Flex was heavy, but Felix was stronger than his friends would ever admit. After a few sweeps, he’d already perfected the art of cracking patella bones.

He wasn’t sorry. He couldn’t  _ feel _ sorry-- He still couldn’t feel anything but the blaze of heat rushing through him, setting him alight.

Enough men went down, at some point, that Deathwish finished his job of extracting the civilians. Felix only knew because Flex told him. Flex didn’t need eyes either.

There was a lot of screaming. It made sense, given the inferno of the world.

There was something else too. Sparse light drifted up to the window, oscillating between blue and red. Felix was torn because the backup was good but the light was _ bad _ .

Light meant Mose caught sight of him. 

The gun was back in play, but there was a flashlight attached to that, too. Somehow, a strobe light emanating from the barrel of your gun did  _ not _ make it easier to aim.

Not did the haze of Felix’s mind.

Mose was too good at blocking his hits, too good at dodging Flex. But Felix was good at dodging too. Easy to knock down, yes, but his height meant a solitary opponent couldn’t fucking touch him if he was fast enough.

His muscles were on fire alongside everything else. His vision was blurry, he was burning. But the fire lent haste to his evasions, licking at his heels whenever he faltered.

Lee was still on the ground. He still wasn’t moving and his cards were still static and his hair was only getting redder and Felix couldn’t fucking handle it.

Mose managed a decent shot, ripping into Felix’s shoulder. And it burned him up even further.

The man took another shot, missing completely this time, bullet exploding a picture frame behind Felix, flinching as the resulting shards of glass came too close.

A decent-sized shard nearly impaled Felix’s shoe. He decided it was good enough to use.

Piercing skin with glass is ridiculously easy. Especially when you’re just returning the favor in terms of placement. Still not as bad as a bullet.

Mose screamed -- no shit -- and Felix took advantage of his stumbling gait to slide through the gap in his legs, effortlessly getting behind him before the man even registered the movement.

Fire engulfed everything as Felix wrapped his scarf around the man's head and pulled.

He didn’t-- He didn’t want to kill the guy. He didn’t  _ actively _ want to do that. But his head was so hot, his fingers so numb. He still couldn’t breathe and it only made sense to equalize it all.

Mose spasmed, trying to pull Flex off, just like he tried to pull Lee’s card off, but Felix was strong and unwavering and everything was burning.

The man dropped to his knees, struggling less and less. 

Felix wasn’t just burning anymore. He was melting beneath the red and blue, brain wrung down to instinct and pain and heat and this wasn’t-- this wasn’t how he’d hoped this year to go.

He barely remembered moving to Newcoast City, anymore. He was pretty sure it was one of those imagined memories, filled in to abate suspicion. He must’ve woken up, fully, at home.

But he remembers those first few days, clear as a bell. He remembers overanalyzing his future bus route and stressing about transferring mid-winter break. He remembers the anxiety about making friends and discovering  _ Popchester’s _ for the first time and he  _ remembers _ , dammit. He remembers the few days before finding Flex.

And then he found Flex. The inspired consumption of superhero comics. The purchase of the turtleneck. The first night he stayed up past 10:30 and passed out only a few blocks away.

The hope and fear and joy and dread. Even the abnormal seemed normal. Intriguing.

The friends he’d made, Brody and Ash and the rest of their old group, they’d been welcoming. The classes he had were interesting and his teachers weren’t the worst. He’d aced his first few tests and hung out with his friends and didn’t get shot in the fucking shoulder or watch a friend crumple like wet paper cut from a string. 

There were no secret, evil, science organizations or vindictive gangs, or burning exhaustion.

That hadn’t kicked until the weather warmed up and the city began to take notice. Until only Brody could deal with his flakiness and until Candor and Cara had shown up.

He’d thought this year would be good for him. That this city would be good for him.

Now, he couldn’t see over the flames.

Mose was still struggling, barely. Felix’s lungs were dry and heavy.

_ “Kid,” _ Flex was saying, trying to loosen himself from Felix’s grip.  _ “Felix, that’s enough!” _

Was it? What if Mose got back up? Felix was gonna crash, soon, burned up by his own blood. Was it enough? If Lee was-- he couldn’t be left unattended if he was still--

But it wasn’t right to use Flex for this if he didn't want to keep going. So why couldn’t he stop? Why were his hands so numb? His muscles were stiff, locked in place, and he couldn’t--

“Scarfy?”

The flames receded.

That was-- It was weak; ground out and painful to listen to. But it came from Felix’s right, and there was only one person here who knew his name, currently.

His arms went limp.

Mose collapsed down to the ground, taking heavy breaths.

Lee still hadn’t gotten up but he had rolled from his side to lay on his back, eyes darting around. The cards on the ground weren’t floating yet, but they were twitching, a few drifting closer to the warlock’s torpid form.

The fire went out.

“Batty!” Felix yelled, scrambling over, slipping on his own blood as fought against his numb limbs and when he collapsed by Magic Bat’s side, he ever so cautiously cradled his friend's head. “I’m here! I’m here! You’re-- Fuck, you’re awake!”

He wasn’t crying. His eyes were too dry for that. But he felt like he probably should be.

“Sorry?” The warlock wheezed out, a smile nonetheless growing on his face. “Bad time?”

Felix shook his head. “Couldn’t be better timing, buddy.”

“Speakin’ of timin’,” Deathwish’s drawl floated over from the doorway. “Christ, Scarfy, the hell did’ya  _ do _ ?”

The informant rushed over to them, police trailing in behind him.

“Fuck…” Deathwish breathed out, clearly gauging their wounds. “That’s-- ya’ need a hospital.”

“I’ll be fine,” Felix protested. “And I’ll, I’ll take care of Batty. He can’t go to the ER like this anyway. You may know my name, but I can’t let anyone else know his.”

Deathwish didn’t argue. “Medics are comin’ up. At least let them wrap ya’ up before ya’ go.”

Felix nodded, which was clearly a mistake as the blood rushed to it. “Ah-- We, um. We’re good, right? Truce stands, we’re not gonna get arrested?”

“Over my dead body,” Deathwish affirmed.

“Okay, okay. Cool.” Felix turned his attention back to his friend. “Sorry, Batty, I need a favor.”

Magic Bat, in barely a minute since waking up, was already trying to patch up Felix’s shoulder with his cards. “What? What is it?”

“I need you to take my phone,” Felix started.

“Yeah…” Magic Bat didn’t seem to like nodding either.

There were a lot of people in the room now, shining a lot of light that Felix didn’t bother messing with. Their fallen opponents were being carried out. Mose was still grunting in pain on the floor, a solid Lee Haverhill away -- six-ish feet.

“Okay, so-- Take my phone and call Bird Boy to get us home,” Felix instructed, vision barely even capturing the gold of his friend’s eyes. “He can at least carry me, so he can probably also grab you, at least a little. And I want you to come back to my place with me so we get patched up in a controlled environment.”

“Why can’t you call?”

“Well, about that--”

Felix then promptly passed out.

* * *

Thankfully, he woke up in his bed.

His eyes blinked open to a familiar ceiling. There were bandages wrapped around his shoulder. Glancing at his nightstand revealed a glass of water and some pretty decent painkillers.

He wasted no time trying to sit up to grab them.

An immediate mistake as the action pulled on his shoulder, a very clear reminder both of why he needed painkillers, as well as why he couldn’t grab them. What a wonderful Catch-22.

_ “Adrenaline’s a real kicker, huh,” _ Flex commented, making his presence known from-- from around Felix’s waist. No surprise.

“What happened?” Felix slurred out, collapsing back on his pillow. “Lee’s okay?”

_ “Not worried about your blood loss?” _ his scarf asked, tightening around Felix slightly -- carefully.  _ “What happened at the fishing shop? When you got home?” _

“Priorities, Flex,” Felix softly chided. “If anyone else was injured, I wanna know that, too.”

Flex was silent for a long moment.  _ “Lee’s fine. Decent concussion but the bleeding was superficial. Miles sustained a few slash wounds, still shallow and nothing to worry about. Brenna got grounded, I believe. You were the worst off.” _

Felix took a deep breath. “Good… that’s good… Am  _ I  _ grounded?”

_ “Unbelievably so.” _

“Fantastic.”

Another deep breath. “How long--”

_ “You woke up briefly around 5 am, though you fell back asleep shortly after. It is now 11:36 am, December 24th,” _ Flex informed him.

“Mmm, Merry Christmas.”

_ “Eve.” _

“Whatever. Need some cheer.” Felix joked, then wavered. “Flex? I’m sorry.”

_ “For?” _

“Not stopping,” Felix whispered. “I-- you told me to stop. I couldn’t figure out how to.”

_ “...It’s fine, kid. I don’t know what happened back there but talking… It can wait ‘till you’re up on your feet again. But we  _ will _ be talking. If I can be worried... that’s an accurate description.” _

Felix smiled at the age-old not-mystery, assessing his pain-level. “... I really need those meds.”

_ “Start yelling?” _

“Okay -- Time to freak out the household.” One more deep breath for the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna have the final chapter out before the end of the year.  
> working on it as I upload this and very excited to finish this book off before planning out the sequel.  
> also,, I'm scared of the last chapter. you should be too :)


	27. [...When You Haven’t Even Begun?]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wowza, umm,, final chapter in for a book I've been working on for years? Kinda insane, ngl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DEF refer back to warnings and tags for this one, babes :)
> 
> And anyone who's actually read this far: Thank you. This work is incredibly important to me and my biggest hope is that it may inspire some joy in others. Have a good day or week or whatever lol.

Not to condone misuse but… Felix could _really_ get behind taking pain meds more often.

Yeah, he was oddly tired and his brain was kinda fuzzy but he’d like to attribute that, mostly, to his overuse of powers the night before. He was… relatively sure that’s what he passed out from though, certainly, the blood loss didn’t help any.

He _was_ grounded, though. Well, okay, Juliana and Chester and everyone else in his little group had phrased it as “mandatory bed-rest” but still, he couldn’t leave the house, meet up with non-vigilante friends like Brody while he recovered, and he was on the receiving end of quite a few disappointed tsks.

So he was grounded. Nothing could convince him otherwise. But hey, whatever. 

He didn’t feel like going anywhere quite yet, anyway.

Still, he absolutely refused to stay in bed, unable to hold back from checking on Lee, who’d apparently insisted on recovering on the couch instead of taking over the spare bedroom Candor and Cara had been staying in. Felix had needed a little extra support from Flex to manage the walk into the living room, collapsing down into Chester’s favorite armchair as soon as he could.

The coffee table was stocked up with bandages, and antiseptic towelettes -- not even from Felix’s own First Aid kit, funnily enough -- and it was easy to spot the headache and nausea meds among the mess. The lamps were all switched off in spite of how dark the sky outside had become, heavy with clouds, the room only illuminated by the cheap Christmas lights they’d managed to string up around the room a few days ago.

There was blood on the couch, undoubtedly Felix’s own, but it was on the opposite end from where Lee’s head was currently laying as he slept, so he figured it was fine. It was quiet, too. The TV was off. The WiFi was still on, of course, but Felix was the only one who could sense that. There were voices in the kitchen, mostly hushed but seemingly not _too_ concerned about volume. 

Felix hadn’t been sitting there long before one of the kitchen’s occupants noticed him.

“Hey,” they called, and it was Candor, leaning tiredly against the doorframe. “You doin’ good?”

“Fine,” Felix replied automatically, eyes returning to Lee’s sleeping form. “He’s okay, right?”

“Better off than _you_ , and you’re still disobeying direct orders, so I think he’ll be just fine.” Candor confirmed, drifting closer. “Need anything?”

Felix closed his eyes for a moment. “Coffee?”

_“Probably a bad idea,_ _given the bloodloss,”_ Flex warned, _“I don’t have a lot of info about it but I’d assume it’s not a--”_

Candor chuckled. “Whatever you say. Gimme a minute.”

As the blonde retreated back into the kitchen, the scarf huffed out something that sounded an awful lot like: _“Traitor.”_

Felix snickered at his silver friend’s discontent and settled in for another minute.

When Candor returned, coffee in hand, he brought Juliana with him.

Felix wasted no time grabbing for the mug, the task of securing the coffee becoming the most important thing he’d ever experienced for a brief few seconds. Taking a sip, he decided it was quite possibly the best cup of coffee he’d ever had -- blood loss or not.

“Miles and Brenna?” He asked after downing a solid third of the mug, voice kept quiet for Lee. “No one’s mentioned them, yet. What happened?”

“They’re fine,” Juliana sighed, sipping on her own coffee, shoulders tense. “Miles got a little bit stabbed at--”

“Wait-- _What_?”

“--but his wounds were nice and superficial,” Juliana pressed on. “He went home a few hours ago. Had to get ready for something with Jett?”

Felix breathed out. “Yeah… yeah, they do a lot of holiday stuff together, I think.”

“Brenna’s fine too,” Candor chimed in. “Grounded worse than you are, apparently, but fine.”

“Wait, why is _she_ grounded?” Felix asked, confusion splitting his tired brain. “Her parents-- they didn’t find out, right?”

“Remember that time your school got invaded by Bloody Bones?” Juliana advanced, eyes narrowing. It seemed a little out of nowhere, honestly.

“Um, no shit? It was a bad day, to say the least,” Felix replied to the apparent non sequitur.

“Remember how you shut off your phone afterward?” Juliana continued. “And made us worry ourselves half to death about you? So we grounded you for being a dumbass?”

_Ah. Okay._ Felix winced as Juliana’s meaning became clear. “...fair enough. She uh… she told them she was studying, huh?”

“I still think they should be happy she wasn’t in the house,” Candor griped. “As far as they know, she _avoided_ danger by lying. I don’t get it.”

“Call it parental concern,” Juliana shot back, though her tone was light.

Felix… didn’t think that was it, necessarily. The more he learned about Brenna’s home life, the more certain he became that _parental concern_ had nothing to do with it. But he had no way of knowing for sure, so he figured he’d ask Brenna about it later.

...or maybe he’d just sic Miles on her. That would probably work out better.

He nodded along anyway, less concerned with conversation than he was with his coffee. 

Flex noted, of course, that if her parents hadn’t questioned Brenna’s excuse of studying so late during winter break, she’d probably be able to sneak away again before long. 

It wasn’t a nice thought.

Lee woke up about an hour later, tired and more than a little miserable, but still insistent on being pleasant. Felix figured if _anyone_ could bypass the irritability symptom of a concussion, it was bound to be Lee Haverhill.

Chester had gone to check something at work, briefly, but the injured were getting hungry so they decided to throw a few frozen pizzas in the oven and call it Christmas lunch/dinner. Felix almost made a joke until he realized it’d be the first Christmas he actually remembered, and likely was for the majority of his present company.

So, yeah, he made himself a little depressed there but, on the upside: Pizza is _very_ good.

Cara crawled out from the spare bedroom when the pizzas were getting pulled from the oven, drawing Candor to the side briefly. Whatever she told him was clearly bad news, their expressions both pulling tighter as she spoke.

Chester got home just in time to eat, though, so Felix counted that as a win.

The living room was crowded, given nobody wanted to sit down on the bloody side of the couch, but they managed just fine. And it _was_ fine. It was nice. Subdued for a celebration, sure, but at this point, it was less about Christmas and more about the fact that they were all alive.

Until Felix got a text from an unknown number.

**[Don’t save this contact. We need to talk. -DW]**

Deathwish. 

Deathwish knew his personal phone number and Felix… wasn’t surprised.

Reluctantly, he pulled himself up to his feet with a quick excuse, secluded himself in his room, and called the number back.

“Chilly?” He asked as soon as the call was answered, slumping back against a wall.

There was silence for a moment before: “Yeah, definitely regrettin’ that alias. Speakin’ a’ names, how are ya’, Felix?”

Flex startled and Felix tried his best to not feel guilty for not warning his friend. _“Is that…?”_

Felix scowled. “Rubbing it in?”

“Maybe a little,” Deathwish admitted. “Mostly makin’ sure ya’ didn’t forget I said it.”

“I haven’t forgotten a second of last night, don’t worry,” Felix half-heartedly assured. “This your burner phone?”

“Duh?”

“Then this isn’t a social call,” Felix reasoned. “What’s up?”

“...It actually is, mostly,” the informant refuted. “You got shot, Flyin’ Fox hit his head. Dunno what happened with everyone else. Police say they saw Dark Gunner bleeding.”

Something deep inside Felix unwound and he could _feel_ his mood lighten. “They’re… They’re all fine. Beanie-Baby and KeyMaster were barely hurt and unscathed, respectively. Magic Bat’s got a concussion but he’ll be fine, we’re keeping an eye on him.”

“And you?”

“Well, depending on how reckless I am in the future, might ask for your opinion on non-addictive painkillers, cause the ones I’m on right now are absolutely stunning.”

“Glad to hear it, scarfy,” and sure enough, Felix could pick out the relief in the informant’s voice. “You’ll have to thank Magic Bat for me. That bullet…”

“Consider it done,” Felix easily agreed, given he couldn’t think of a better Christmas gift for Batty than personal gratitude and appreciation. “How are things on your end?”

“Mose ain’t talkin’ to the cops,” Deathwish informed him. “But a lot a’ the people in Key’s files are either gettin’ help or gettin’ arrested, dependin’. Only guys squealin’ any dirt don’t have much to give away in the first place. But hey, the mayor’s alive. So are a lotta otha’ people. I’d call this a win, in the long run.” 

“That’s… good, yeah,” Felix fumbled over his words, “but, uh, I was actually asking about you. I… I can’t say I noticed you getting injured but I wouldn’t be surprised. You’re good too, right?”

A chuckle came from the other end of the line. “Yeah… yeah, I’m good, Scarfy. Even if I wasn’, I’d manage. Always do. ‘Sides, ‘m not pushin’ myself today. Jus’ wanted to check in with ya’.”

“Oh?’ Felix grinned. “Holiday plans?”

“Mayhaps, Shortstack. You’d better be restin’ too.”

“Oh, I’m on strict orders from my friends,” Felix assured him, tacking on, “who are absolutely waiting on me, wondering why I ran off from pizza time. Call me if you need anything, Chilly, really. Your help was invaluable in all this.”

“...As a security concern, do _not_ call me Chilly literally _anywhere_. Happy Holidays.”

Felix didn’t get a chance to reply -- Deathwish hung up immediately after that statement.

Still, Felix sent him a snowflake emoji. It was a matter of pride.

_“I hate that he knows your name,”_ Flex made clear.

“I know,” Felix assured him, and he _did_ know. “I’m not sure why I don’t but… I don’t.”

_“You’re impossible.”_

“Love you too, buddy.”

Felix drifted back through the front room, dodging any questions by claiming he needed more coffee and hobbling into the kitchen.

He didn’t quite notice Candor and Cara following him, meaning he _absolutely didn’t_ flinch when Candor spoke up, and it absolutely _didn’t_ pull on his shoulder, eliciting a further squeak, which was _absolutely_ pure pain and not at all shock, if it had existed… 

“Hey, so,” Candor started off, pausing for a duration of time absolutely did not correlate to the nonexistent squeak. “Um… Right, so Cara and I have a… concern.”

Felix cleared his throat as he filled up a coffee mug. “Shoot.”

“You remember Wilt?” Cara asked.

Felix turned around, wincing at the phrasing. “Ah, yeah… You’ve mentioned him.”

“We’re--” Candor took a breath. “Well, um. We’re worried.”

“You said _not_ to worry about Wilt.” Felix pointed out. “What changed? Did-- Is he okay?”

“Some of the stuff he’s passed on recently is more than a little alarming,” Candor admitted. “But it was also just general HEBS stuff.”

“And general Wilt stuff,” Cara continued. “But I was talking to him today and… He doesn’t _fully_ understand what’s going on, or why we’re gone. But he trusted us. He’s always trusted us, more than anybody else. He… he wouldn’t talk, today.”

Something cold settled inside Felix’s chest. “What do you mean? Did they hurt him?”

“No, like--” Cara shook her head, staring at the floor. “He _could_ talk. But he wouldn’t tell me anything. Not even little stuff, like how he was doing. I’m-- I think they finally got to his head.”

“I know you don’t remember him, Felix, But, please,” Candor beseeched, voice strained. “He’s… he’s our friend. And he’s been helping as best he can. I-- We don’t know what to _do_.”

Felix swallowed the ice in his throat. “If they got to him, what does that mean? Do they know where you two are? That we’re breaking our brainwashing?”

“It’s possible,” Cara agreed slowly. “They could’ve just shut him up but, they-- they might have-- _shit_.”

Cara turned to leave, covering her face. Felix remembered, all too clearly, the last time he’d seen her cry and had done nothing.

Quick as he could manage, he set down his mug and reached out, pulling her into a half-hug. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay. I’m-- I can’t do much right now, I know. But I’m gonna get the team together and we’re gonna talk it out and we’re gonna… We’re gonna do something.”

“Don’t make promises, Felix,” she murmured into his good shoulder, head limp.

“Not a promise,” he spoke carefully. “It’s a hypothesis. Which means we just need to test it.”

Candor shifted. “You really think we can help him?”

Felix smiled. “Hey, what do you take me for? Someone who _doesn’t_ have three superpowered youths harbored in his home?”

“Is Lee a _youth_?” Cara giggled out.

“C’mon, he’s only like, 21,” Felix defended, snickering. “Give him a break.”

When he managed to extract himself from the kitchen, his mind was only half-focused on Wilt. Most of it was pretty dead set on laying down in bed again, honestly, but he had one last mission and another cup of coffee to get through before he got around to that.

He settled next to Lee on the couch, happily ignoring the blood. “Hey.”

Lee, still nibbling on his pizza, greeted him with a smile and, once he swallowed his bite, parroted the, “Hey.”

“A little bat passed something along today,” Felix started.

“Today as in the two hours you’ve been awake?”

“Shut up. Anyway. _Deathwish_ ,” Felix watched as Lee’s eyes grew wide, “wanted to thank you.”

Lee set down his pizza slice. “Thank me?”

Felix nodded, sipping on his coffee. “For stopping the bullet. That was… quick. I didn’t even know your cards were bulletproof.”

Lee shrugged, his smile turning sheepish. “Me neither. I just panicked.”

“Panicked and saved his life,” Felix reiterated, gleefully soaking up the modesty that bled off of Lee’s form. “Seriously, it was cool. _You’re_ cool. Best warlock around.”

“There’s no way he said that,” Lee protested.

“Hmm, no, you’re right. I do believe his exact words were _most epic bat-themed hero_ \--”

“Stop!” Lee laughed. “Just- ha! Come on!”

Felix shrugged with his good shoulder. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger!”

_“Too late?”_ Flex snarked.

“Or is it too soon?” Felix asked, faltering as Lee’s eyes narrowed.

“Felix, I swear to your precious coffee, if you and Flex just joked about your _gunshot wound_ \--”

* * *

Half a week later, Felix was golden.

Okay, that’s a bald-faced lie. His shoulder still hurt like a bitch, but it was healing _more than_ decently, he didn’t need the high-strength painkillers anymore, and his energy levels were as full as they normally were -- which is to say, not much, but he could function.

The combination of these factors meant he was finally off house-arrest and the reprieve couldn’t have come sooner. Their group meeting was still a few days off, thanks to Miles and Brenna’s schedules, and there was something he had to get sorted before he could properly give it his full attention.

His release happened to coincide with Lee’s, too. He’d been crashing on their couch at literally everyone’s insistence to make sure he was recovering. Felix figured he could run a conversion ratio on their injuries to figure out just how good his healing factor really was if he wanted to but… he didn’t feel like it, honestly.

So instead of doing any more math than was necessary during winter break -- which was any math at all -- he took the opportunity to walk Lee over to the nearest bus station.

They’d spent the short walk discussing the ridiculous amount of anime they’d consumed while they were recovering together -- Lee had very suddenly become concerned about variety and insisted on showing off several shows -- and it was only coming upon their destination that inspired a change of topic. 

Specifically, The subject of power systems in anime was cut off abruptly, Lee going stock still. “Where are you going, Felix?”

“I’m… walking you?” Felix tried, giving up before the last word had even completed, the unamused expression on Lee’s face clearer than their breath staining the winter air. “I… fine. I’m gonna go ambush Brody.”

“Your best friend, right?”

Felix winced. “I hope. I think… I dunno. I think I need to apologize.”

“He doesn’t know.” It wasn’t a question. “Are you… Are you going to tell him?”

“Shit, man,” Felix forced out, shoulders slumping. “Hell if I know. Probably… Probably not.”

“Don’t want to?” Lee asked softly. There was no judgment in that tone; no teasing or leading. Felix swore, Lee’s rosy words were a force to be reckoned with, somehow not at all pressuring and still making him want to spill every secret he’d ever had. If he knew any of them, that is.

Equally soft, Felix answered, “I just don’t know I can. Morally, emotionally, whatever. I just…”

Lee took a deep breath, eyes snapping up toward the approaching bus if Felix’s ears and memorized bus schedule served him right. “Listen, I know most of our friends are emotionally constipated toddlers… You are very much included in that, by the way--”

Flex snorted out a synthetic laugh under Felix’s sweater.

“--so nobody else is gonna say this outright,” Lee continued, unaware of Flex’s silent approval, “but we all love each other, right? And I don’t know what’s going on with your school friends, but I’m sure you and Brody love each other, too, from what you’ve told me. That’s _good_ , Felix. Because that gives you the courage to do what’s right.”

“What’s _right_ here, Lee?”

Lee smiled wide. “Come on, you know me well enough, by now! Love’s worth a little pain, but it’s up to you just how much pain is the price. I always recommend a compromise, even it out on both sides!”

“Kinda like how you compromise on class projects?” Felix asked, even though he knew it was kinda shitty to bring up. Getting shot -- and being a bitch in general -- will do that to you.

Lee didn’t seem to mind though, just giving an exaggerated pout. “I’m getting better, okay? Baby steps. Point is: If full silence hurts him, and full honesty would hurt you…”

Finally recalling Lee’s favorite philosophy, Felix grinned. “Good intentions?”

The bus pulled up. Lee’s smile didn’t drop even as the pair hedged towards the opening doors. “Bingo. Tell me how it goes?”

“Call you later,” Felix promised. “And I’ll send you the meeting details when we iron’em out.”

Lee nodded diligently before pulling a goofy bow and disappearing onto the bus, leaving Felix alone with the walk ahead of him.

It wasn’t too long a walk, really. He walked more most nights -- _ran_ more most nights. Still, it was daunting; a haze of pulling his thoughts together and almost getting hit by an errant cyclist. He knew what he was doing, mostly. Lee had given him a good pep talk. 

But it was still something he and Brody hadn’t truly discussed in _months_ \-- since fucking _September_. (A bad month, all around.)

Felix sucked it up though. The fact that it had been so long was just another reason he _had_ to do this now, before the year finished out and left him unfinished in yet another category. He hadn’t seen Brody at all this break, for obvious reasons, but he still couldn’t stand the idea of returning to school next semester with the same tension hanging over his head.

He sent a text as he crossed over to Brody’s street, just as it started to rain.

He rang the doorbell some thirty seconds later.

Brody, upon opening the door, crossed his arms with a huff. “Really, no warning?”

“Would you prefer _you’re a bad influence_ or _I learned from the best_?”

“Um, _best_ , obviously,” Brody acknowledged, stepping aside after looking Felix up and down. “Get out of the rain, dummy.”

“I promise it just started,” Felix assured as he stepped inside, reveling in the house’s warmth. “Sorry ‘bout the, uh, radio-silence. Bad week.”

Brody went quiet for a moment as he closed the door, and as Felix refocused on his friend, he could almost _see_ the hesitance wage war in Brody’s mind.

Finally, Brody cleared his throat. “Are you, um, okay?”

Felix put on his best apologetic grin. “Kinda what I wanna talk about.”

It seemed to take Brody a moment to process that but he was quickly back to his normal infectious energy, bouncing off towards the kitchen. “Lemme guess: Coffee’s appreciated?”

Felix laughed softly as he shrugged off his boots at the entrance, before following Brody deeper into the house. “As if I could refuse… Are your parents home?”

“Just missed them,” Brody answered, filling a coffee filter up. “Getting last-minute groceries.”

“Last minute?”

“Yeah, visiting my aunt for New Year’s,” Brody elaborated, hitting the button on the coffee maker and spinning to face Felix with an all too familiar flair for the dramatic. “Taking off in a few hours. _You_ made good time, Mr. No Warning.”

_“...This is what we get for not checking in, huh?”_ Flex asked wryly. Felix couldn't agree more.

“Brody, in all the time I’ve known you, I can count the number of _warnings_ you’ve given me on one hand,” Felix snarked, only partially trying to actually defend himself. 

“Yeah, I’m special like that,” Brody agreed. “But you’re not.”

“...hey? Should I be offended?”

Brody shrugged. “Just saying, you’re sorta the human embodiment of anxious affirmations. Which means you never show up without telling me… So this is pretty serious.”

Felix’s good mood deflated, breath catching in his throat. “Oh. Uh… yeah.”

Brody waited until it was clear he wasn’t gonna continue, taking a deep breath before asking, “Is there anything I can do?”

_“Just start talking, kid. You’ll get to the point eventually,”_ Flex advised.

Felix nodded to the advice before processing Brody’s words and quickly shaking his head. “Just-- No, I think I just need to… Get it out.”

Concern etched Brody’s face into a deep frown but he nodded and took a seat at the counter nonetheless. “Whatever you need to say, go for it.”

Felix didn’t sit. He needed to stay standing for this. His feet were moving without his volition, pacing a few tight steps back and forth. His head was swimming and, for just a moment, he felt the fire well back up.

He took a deep breath; let it grow controlled within his chest.

“Okay…” he breathed out, slow and steady. “Okay. So I guess I had a bit of… a bit of a crisis? Wasn’t my best moment, overall, but I… processed a few things, maybe.”

A glance at Brody confirmed the teen’s rapt attention, giving him the burst he needed. 

Felix kept pacing, keeping his words as honest as he could manage. “When I moved here, it was a fresh start. I mean, duh, I moved, but I didn’t really… You’ve noticed I uh, I don’t really talk about middle school, huh?”

“To be fair, middle school sucked,” Brody placated, not denying anything.

“Right, so… So I had… I don’t think it was conscious, but I had a lot of expectations, and this year, it didn't end up the way I wanted it to. And I know-- I know we can never really _predict_ , fully, but… It was important. To me,” Felix stammered out, his voice hurried, his heart bleeding. “And _nothing_ has gone to plan.”

He forced his feet to a stop, addressing Brody directly. “... I’m sorry I pushed you away. And I mean-- Like-- The first time… I really liked our friends and I really liked _you_ . A lot of that was exactly what I wanted. But-- I-- Things changed, and I didn’t really expect anyone would notice if I drifted off. They asked, yeah, at first, but-- but I kept fading so they stopped… You didn’t talk to me for a few weeks and I-- I thought that was it, you know? I wasn’t _happy_ about it but I wasn’t… I didn’t think there was anything else I could do.”

Brody winced. “I should’ve reached out to you sooner--”

“No!” Felix interrupted, because _wow_ , not the point. “No, Brody, it wouldn’t have changed anything. The way I felt, the way everything turned out -- that's not on you. I wasn’t expecting anything from you--”

Brody grimaced even deeper at that and Felix wanted to hit himself.

“--not like that! _Fuck, I’m bad at this…_ ” Felix recentered himself. “I mean from anyone! I wasn’t expecting anything… from anyone.”

The misplaced guilt seemed to vanish off Brody’s face, but the unease was still clearly there. “...that’s really sad, Felix. I thought you said your hopes were high?”

“They were, um…” Felix swallowed thickly, tongue weighing down his words. “They were already falling by that point. And it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Not… not at school or at home or-- or anyone in this city. It was a fresh start but, well… it wasn’t anyone’s fault, and that was sorta the problem, you know?”

Brody dropped his gaze down to his hands, nervous fingers tapping the counter. “...yeah, Felix. I know.”

And he probably did because, frankly, Felix didn’t know anyone who _wasn’t_ dealing with _some_ shit… Except maybe Ross. Ross seemed pretty chill, usually.

“I just-- I know you want me to tell you what’s going on,” Felix continued on, finally reaching the heart of the matter. “What ruined this year. What’s… What’s hurting me. And I… I want to, Brody. I want to tell you everything and get it off my chest. I wanna fix this whole... this _whatever_ , between us. But I just _can’t_ figure out how to, not without everything hurting more! Getting… getting worse. I _want_ to but the words-- They’re not there! I don’t know them.”

Brody met his gaze then, understandably wary. “This year’s really been that bad for you?”

And, well.

Has it?

The fire in his chest fluttered, slowly replaced by a soft, fuzzy static.

“Well, I mean--” he stuttered out, muscles relaxing. “No. Yes. There’s-- It’s been bad but, yeah, of course, there’ve been good things too.”

_“Like?”_ Flex prompted. _“C’mon, kid. You’re close.”_

“Well, uh-- Obviously, there’s you,” Felix gestured loosely. “I know a lot sucks right now, but, you’re still the best friend I’ve ever had, Brody. And I know I’m not that good of a friend -- I don’t know how to be. Some days, I don’t know how to be a good _person_ or even--”

He trailed off, leaving Brody to prod, “Or even?”

_Or even a person at all,_ his brain filled in what his voice could not -- a sentiment he knew he couldn’t expose to the light of day. It was something that kept him awake as often as his normal insomnia did, seeping through his attempts to repress it, attacking without warning.

But he couldn’t even _start_ on that without explaining _why_ he didn’t know himself and-- and that wasn’t what he was here for, today.

“...nothing,” Felix asserted after a stiff pause, shaking himself back into reality. “I just… I know I hurt you. Um… both times. I didn't mean to but I did and I’m sorry. But I don’t know how to change it and I want to but--”

“What else?” Brody broke in.

Felix’s brain ground to a halt. “Um… What?”

Brody, somehow, managed a smile. Even more shocking, he stood up and meandered back over to the coffee pot, grabbing two mugs as he went. “There are more good things in the world than just me, Felix. So come on: Tell me some other good things about the year.”

Felix had to think about it for a moment. “...Well, um, Miles is--”

Brody smirked, passing Felix a mug of black coffee which was-- exactly how he needed it prepared right now, but there was no time for gratitude when that smirk entered the equation.

“Shut up,” he griped, quickly accepting the coffee and taking a quick, gentle sip. “It’s not like-- Well, okay, it’s just-- he’s good for me, I think. And he’s not the only-- I’ve made, um… I met this girl, Brenna, at _Popchester’s_. She’s really cool, too. We text a lot, mostly about nerdy stuff or just to insult each other -- it’s great. And then, one of my mom’s students -- not like, in her major but in an easy class -- Lee. he’s really sweet and kind and just… a really good person. Too good, sometimes. I don’t really talk about them at school but… Miles knows them too.”

“Oh?” Brody asked, a teasing lilt to his voice instead of the confused hurt Felix had always imagined at the reveal of Brenna and Lee. “A whole secret friend group?”

Felix forced a smile to match. “Not so secret anymore, huh?” he took another sip, suddenly playing back his conversation from his walk over. “...Lee would love to meet you, probably. I talk about you a lot.”

Brody’s whole being seemed to pause at that, eyes trained on the floor. “...really?”

Felix’s smile became genuine then, if a little sad. “Yeah, man. You were kinda my only friend for a while. I don't know if I deserved it but… I’ll never forget that you stuck by me. I don’t know where I’d be without Miles or Brenna or Lee, but I know exactly where I’d be without you, and it’s _not_ a pretty sight.”

Brody set down his coffee mug. “Felix?”

“Yeah?” Felix asked, keeping his cool on the outside, internally screaming, _Shit, fuck, he looks serious again, what did I say!? Did I do something wrong? Wait, I’ve done a lot wrong, but was something too much? And-- Shit, he’s looking up!_

“I,” Brody spoke clearly, words delivered like a court sentence, “am going to hug you now, ‘cause that was the sweetest, corniest thing I’ve _ever_ heard and you definitely need a hug.”

Felix scrambled to set down his coffee before it could get hurt, the poor thing. “You know, I’ve actually come to like hugs recentl--ough!”

Brody wasted no time charging into him once his coffee was safe and Felix didn’t even mind how quickly he melted into it.

“Thank you,” Brody spoke softly, resting his head on Felix’s bad shoulder -- not that Felix was gonna tell him that. “I know that was hard.”

Felix frowned, only partially due to the sharp ache. “I barely said anything.”

“It was enough,” Brody assured him, voice quieter than Felix had ever heard from his friend. “You were enough.”

Well. Apparently, this year had one last thing to make him cry over. Yay.

… at least he was in good company.

It was twenty minutes later, Brody having let Felix cry for a solid five minutes before shoving his coffee back into his hands and leading him to the living room to destress on the couch, that Brody decided to prod a little bit.

“You know you can tell me, whenever you _are_ ready, right?” he asked, lowering the TV volume. “I… I know better than to pressure you now, but there’s nothing that’d make me think less of you or anything like that.”

Felix kinda wanted to refute that but, given he’d said as much to Miles several times over regarding his whole murder-thing, he probably had no room to judge. “I… Yeah, I know that, Brody. I just don’t know where…”

His mind sharpened, suddenly, fledgling ideas pounding against his skull.

Brody seemed to take his trailing off as further emotional distress. Which was fair. “Shit, yeah, I know, I just-- As long as you know I’m _here_ \--”

“Hey, shut up for a sec,” Felix ordered, completely missing how rude his words were -- don’t worry, they’d haunt him later when he tried to go to sleep. “I got it.”

“...got what?” Brody asked, sounding confused.

“Okay, so, _I_ can’t tell you what’s up,” Felix clarified, “and it’s an issue if it’s all you ever ask me about cause it makes us both feel bad.”

“Right, learned that lesson,” Brody agreed.

“So, let’s structure it,” Felix suggested with a manic grin. “I… I can’t find the words but… if you guess right… I don’t think it’d be that bad? Like, if you figure out what’s up, it’d be a _lot_ easier to talk about. And I’ll just-- I’ll trust you won't be mad about it.”

Brody blinked owlishly. “You want me to take wild guesses at your deepest, darkest secrets?”

Felix paused at the tone. “Oh… bad idea? Figured you liked that sort of thing...”

“No!” Body shook his head eagerly. “I love it! Just surprised you’d be okay with the pestering.”

Felix sighed in relief. “Again, structure’s key, here. Few times a month?”

“Simple three?” Brody suggested.

“Starting next year cause I can’t handle any more about it today,” Felix confirmed. “Deal?”

Brody smiled, wide and peaceful. “Deal. I’ll have no mercy, though.” But something about the phrase _no mercy_ must’ve snapped something into place. Felix felt it, like a shift in energy. He knew before he even saw Brody’s lips curl up and certainly before he heard Brody’s words. “So… Brenna,” his friend drawled, wiggling his eyebrows. “Cute science girl at _Popchester’s_ … No relation to the cute science girl _I_ pointed out months back, is there?”

Felix rolled his eyes. “I cannot _believe_ you remember that.”

_“Holy shit, even I forgot that,”_ Flex-- well, he didn’t breathe it out but it sounded like he did.

“I have the memory of a god, Felix,” Brody declared. “Plus, you remembered Jett. So?”

“So, what?”

“ _So_ , was I right? Is she perfect for you?”

“It’s not like that,” Felix denied, ignoring his scarf’s snickering.

“Oh, what, like _Miles_ isn’t like that?” Brody challenged. Then, just to show off his smugness, he took a _long_ sip of his likely _very_ cold coffee. Bastard.

“I-- Wha-- Why are you so insistent I have something for Miles?”

“I have eyes, Felix.” Brody sighed dramatically, patting his shoulder -- this time his good one, thank fuck. “I’ve seen your face when you talk about him and guess what? It’s the same face you pulled talking about Brenna earlier. I’ve never seen that look when you talked about literally anyone else.”

“That can’t be true, come on,” Felix tried to refute. “I mean, coffee--”

“Felix, we both damn well know you’re not _actually_ romantically attracted to coffee,” Brody disputed. “Now, sexually? Toss of the dice and I don’t wanna know.”

“For the love of all that is caffeinated, Brody!”

“Not helping yourself there, buddy.”

Felix took a deep breath. “Okay, I get it. I know my feelings for Miles and Brenna are kinda… intense… but that doesn’t mean they’re romant--”

“Would you kiss them?” Brody asked, suddenly sounding very much like an underpaid babysitter, a comparison Felix did _not_ appreciate his mind for making.

“...What?”

“Really, cue one of sensual attraction,” Brody elaborated. “Would you kiss either of them?”

“I mean…” Felix’s brain spun. “Sure? I don’t see why not? But that means nothing.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, _really_ , Brody--”

“Would you kiss me?”

It felt like a punch in the gut, mostly due to the physical recoil Felix experienced. “What?! No! Gross, dude, you’re like-- I dunno, like my brother.”

“Jett?”

“Wouldn’t do that to you--”

“Ash?”

“Why would I kiss Ash?”

“Ross?”

“Dude, he’s like, in _college_ , what are you--”

“But you’d kiss Miles and Brenna?” Brody pressed on, eyes glimmering.

Felix froze. “This feels like a trap.”

“That’s because it is, Coffee Boy,” Brody agreed. “Now, the final blow: Do you _want to_ kiss either of them? Not just wouldn’t mind it -- do you _want to_?”

Felix had no choice but to think it over. Yeah, Miles and Brenna were _great_ , equally so but also in very different ways. They were amazing and brave and sometimes they were so goddamn _stupid_ that he couldn’t help but love them for it and maybe how he felt didn’t always fit into their typical group dynamic but-- _Oh_.

“Oh,” he repeated out loud, ever so articulately. “Huh. That’s… different.”

“Taking that as a yes?” 

Felix couldn’t blink.

_“Shit, kid, did you break?”_

_Yes_. 

Yes, he broke. He was _so_ not prepared for another worldview shattering realization today. Or this week. Or this year, which was less than a week, but the point still stands.

“Felix?” Brody was asking now, concern worming its way back into his previously warm voice. “Shit, sorry, I didn’t mean to-- um-- pressure you?”

“It’s fine,” Felix found himself blurting out, not able to stand the downturn in mood. “It’s-- wow, um, a lot. I’m… not straight.”

Brody frowned. “I’m gonna level with you: I completely forgot you’d never talked about your sexuality before. I didn’t mean to force you into it if you weren’t--”

“No, it’s fine, really!” Felix insisted, not actually fine but _not_ because of Brody. “I… never brought it up cause I never thought about it. Had a lot of other shit going on, I guess. This was… This was probably good. I don’t know if I ever would’ve fucking realized _anything_ on my own.”

Brody was still tensed up, worrying his lip between his teeth. “So… we’re good?”  
  


“What?” Felix jolted out of his fugue. “Oh! Yeah, man, we’re good. But if you ever need to do something like that again with me, be gentle. I am, apparently… very slow.”

Finally, Brody smiled again. “Got it. So… both of them?”

Felix nodded slowly. “Yeah. Yikes, that um-- Does not make things clearer, huh?”

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, buddy. You’ll get there,” Brody assured him. “Need more coffee?”

“So much more coffee,” Felix agreed, sinking into the couch as though it were quicksand. “Enough that I don’t need to deal with-- with _this_ again, today. I’ll… handle it next year.”

Brody scoffed lightly as he stood up. “Whatever you say. But I reserve the right to tease you when you start making blatant googly eyes at Miles. Payback for Jett.”

“It would only be fair, yeah.” 

As Brody waltzed off to satisfy his coffee needs, Flex piped up once more with: _“You really didn’t know you were crushing on two of your closest friends?”_

Felix sunk further into the couch. “Next. Year. _Flex_.”

* * *

It was next year.

Felix still wasn’t thinking about it. 

He’d decided to push it off until school started back up. That way, he’d have something to ignore his classwork with. See? Master strategist talking, here.

Felix had avoided _actually_ bad situations with ease. This wasn’t even bad. He just wasn’t ready for it yet. Surely, _surely_ , he could just allow this little revelation to develop on its own?

January 1st was a Monday, though. So, obviously, peace of mind didn’t exist.

Candor had gone… a little crazy for meeting prep. He’d decided iced coffee was the drink of choice, which was a _decision_ , surely, given how fucking cold it was outside. But he wanted all their drinks prepped in advance and cold drinks held up better for that. So, they had a shitton of iced coffee and cranked the heater up to offset it.

Felix himself had been busy throwing together a few preliminary flow charts. Nothing crazy! The rest of the household had made sure he’d actually gotten some sleep after the last time he’d gone insane for a few days. Still, he had some starter ideas and a few conversation paths planned.

Juliana had some semester prep to do, so she asked to be informed of any decisions later. Otherwise, Chester and Cara were ready and everyone else was scheduled to arrive at 3 pm.

Brenna, of course, arrived first. She looked as exhausted as Felix felt, drifting into the living room with a few muttered greetings and immediate gratitude for the iced coffee. 

Actually, Felix thought, the sheer joy on her face when she saw it was iced was pretty cu--

Nope. Not today. Serious stuff today. Thinking his friends are cute can wait.

Flex, draped along the coffee table, seemed to notice his moment of weakness anyway, robotic snickering filling the air for Felix’s ears only. Jerk.

Miles was next, all but storming in and collapsing onto the couch -- blood successfully hidden by new cushion covers. He didn’t seem happy but that was nothing new so Felix let it be for now.

By 3:17, Felix was getting a little concerned about Lee’s tardiness. His mood wasn’t tempered by the text he ended up receiving.

**[Lee: hey, sorry, not feeling too good ;-; slowed down some of the important semester planning i wanted to get done before heading over so i’m running late. don’t wait for me!! see you later. sorry again!!!!! (－‸ლ) ]**

Felix frowned at his phone, worried “not feeling too good” was code for “mmmm bad concussion symptoms returning” but figured Lee would’ve been more specific if that were the case. He was probably just hungover or something. He sorta hoped he _was_ , given it’d mean he’d actually gone to a party or hung out with friends last night. 

So, reluctantly, he typed: **[No problem! I’ll make sure the gang leaves you some coffee!!]**

The only reply was another emoticon, **[ >_>^ ^<_< ]** which wasn’t too helpful, really.

“Okay gang,” Felix called out to the group, pocketing his phone. “Lee’s running late. I’m betting five bucks he’s hungover. Anyone in?”

“I’ll take it,” Miles chimed in. “Bren?”

Brenna scrunched up her nose. “I’ll choose respect for our friends, thanks. Looking forward to the bragging rights, though.”

“Kids,” Chester chastised, bringing them all back. Just when Felix thought they were gonna get lectured, though, the man grinned. “It’s not a proper bet until you write it down.”

Felix chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Maybe later. For now, Lee said to get started. So, friends, first off, a general recap: We all got screwed with to varying degrees, some of us forcefully escaped, some of us don’t know why we’re even alive and free right now. Some of us have no clue how our abilities work, some of us just have good aim--”

Miles coughed.

“--and overall we have no fucking clue what to do,” Felix finished off, gesturing dramatically. “Sound about right?”

There were no objections. 

“Right, so, a few whatever’s ago, Chester here,” Felix continued on, turning his gesture to the man in question, “proposed he might be able to reengineer one of our little brain chips for study, along with my help. We… haven’t gotten super far in that but we _do_ definitely think it’s possible and could turn out some good results in our whole memory issues -- _if_ we succeed.”

“What’s the issue, then?” Miles asked, taking a tentative sip of his iced coffee.

“Well, Beanie-Ba…” Felix trailed off. Oh. Oh _fuck_. 

His favorite nickname for Miles had the word _baby_ in it. How had he never noticed that? 

How was that _fair_!?

Someone poked him. Cara. “Felix?”

He straightened back up. “Uh, right, um-- Blondie, the issue is that we actually have to learn how to build it and I keep tiring myself out trying to scope the damn chips so… it’s gonna take a while. And that would’ve been fine until a few days ago. You remember Wilt?”

“Our guy inside?” Brenna asked. “Did something happen?”

Felix gestured at the twins.

Candor took a deep breath. “To sum it up, we lost any flow of information. He’s still alive, still in contact, but he’s gone quiet -- unnaturally quiet. And it’s not just running out of info! He used to tell us what they had for breakfast if he could remember it and nothing else. He’d talk about _something_ instead of nothing.”

“So now, we’re worried HEBS either messed up his head and we’ve only lost our insider,” Felix carried on, “or they _got to him_ and made him spill anything he’d learned about _us_.”

“And _if_ they got to his head,” Candor emphasized, a deep crease growing between his brows, “then… he might not have a long time left. His powers are… um… complicated. And pretty much only dangerous to _him_. If they finally started controlling him right, then it’s only a matter of time before--”

The blonde took a deep breath, not bothering to continue when the massage was perfectly clear.

Chester rubbed at his forehead. “So, if he’s in danger, what can we even do? Would he listen if you tell him to bolt?”

Cara shook her head. “Doubt it… We haven’t called him again since he went quiet, just in case it’d do more harm than good, but he didn’t really listen to what I was saying. I couldn’t convince him of _anything_ ; no way he’d run on command.”

“What about the other kids there?” Miles asked suddenly. “How many are there, anyway?”

Candor shared a meaningful look with Cara before taking a breath. “Uh… six that we know of, including Wilt. Could be more in other sections of the building, I guess. I don’t…”

“Seven,” Cara argued. “Casper.”

“We’ve still never seen the guy,” Candor shot back. “Could just be a Wilt-ism.”

“A Wilt-ism?” Felix asked.

“Don’t mock the name -- you’re the one who came up with it,” Cara informed him.

Miles coughed again. Felix _wished_ he could be mad about the silent mockery. Instead, it was just cu-- _Stop it_ , _what the fuck?_ This was _so_ Brody’s fault, **_ugh_ **.

Felix cleared his throat. “Noted. So, jumping off Chester’s question: Can we get _any_ of them out, remotely?”

Candor shook his head. “Wilt was our best bet for a reason. Nobody else… really likes us?”

“Nobody liked _Candor_ ,” Cara clarified. “But anyone who liked me at all will have lost trust by now. We disappeared pretty suddenly, after all.”

“Why didn’t anybody like you?” Felix asked, off-topic.

The twins winced. Candor sighed. “They, uh… thought you were weird.”

Felix’s shoulders drooped. “Oh.”

“Yeah. sorry.”

“Okay, so, we can’t do anything from here,” Brenna cut in, reorienting the conversation. “Whether it’s to help them or to gather intel, given we’ve been pretty awful at that on our own. So… what do we do?”

Felix hated the conclusions his mind immediately drew. “I think… I think it’s obvious. Candor, how far away is the facility, exactly?”

Candor hummed, contemplation coloring his features. “Pretty long flight… I think it’s like, 10 hours by car?”

“Is it landlocked?” Brenna asked.

“Nah, just south.”

_“What are you suggesting, kid?”_ Flex asked from the table, slight movement starling the others in the room. _“Please, just once, don’t say something stupid?”_

“Don’t worry buddy, it’s more than stupid -- it’s _laughable_ ,” Felix assured his scarf, drawing the room’s attention back to himself. “But… it might be the only move.”

Miles set down his coffee. “Just spit it out, Shorty.”

“It’s just-- If we can’t get anything from here…” Felix took a deep breath. “We go there.”

“To the HEBS facility?” Brenna asked, her face displaying a very unique blend of _What on Earth is wrong with you_ and _Tell me more immediately._

Felix nodded. “Maybe… maybe just a quick infiltration. We grab Wilt, given we’re most concerned about him, presently, and we scrounge for anything else we can learn. Maybe I can set up some access point into their systems or maybe we raid their shitty filing system. We get _some_ information out of, _somehow_. And then we bolt.”

“And we just leave behind everyone else?” Miles challenged, bewilderment twisting up his frown. “How do we know Wilt’s the worst off?”

“If someone else is in clear, immediate danger, we could grab them too,” Candor acquiesced, “but if they don’t trust us and we try to abduct them?”

Brenna nodded. “They’d fight back, get attention. We’d be done for.”

“Exactly,” Felix continued on. “So, Wilt might be the only one we can reasonably plan for. Besides, we don’t have enough manpower to help everyone at once.”

“Okay, full stop,” Chester interrupted, voice strained. “What happens if it _does_ go wrong? What happens if you kids get caught and you never come back? I’m not saying we don’t need information and I’m not saying Wilt doesn't deserve an extraction but-- Is it really worth that risk? Maybe they brainwash you again, maybe they just kill you! Maybe you become chemical farms or-- or--”

Felix nearly dropped his coffee as he rushed over to the man, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “Chester, hey, it’s okay. We deal with risk every day, you know. This is only Stage One of planning. We can still veto it, but if we go forth, I promise you, we’ll be fully prepared.”

Chester sighed. “Doesn’t make this any less of a suicide mission.”

“Not yet, but we know how to be safe,” Felix promised. “We can handle some bad odds. I’ve been doing crazy stuff like this all year. The other vigilantes make up any lost time with sheer awesomeness. And sure, Candor and Cara are just traumatized, but they’ve still proved they can handle all this. We’re only just starting. Give us some time?”

After a moment, Chester nodded. “I… if you’re gonna discuss this, I don’t think I’ll be much help. I’ll… I think I’ll go run over those early blueprints again. Tell you all if I figure anything out before you all leave.”

Felix frowned. “I… Okay. Good luck?”

Chester chuckled. “Right back at ya’, kiddo.”

With that, the man retreated from the room, leaving Felix with the consequences of his words.

“Sheer awesomeness, huh?” Miles teased, not bothering to hide his sharp laughter.

“High praise from a guy who’s called me _Miss_ on multiple occasions,” Brenna added on.

Felix turned to glare at both of them, face growing hot. “I hate you two _so much_.”

He didn’t. 

Oh, Lord of Caffeine save him, _he didn’t_.

He still refused to call them cute, though.

* * *

  
  


Eventually, it became clear that they were, in fact, planning this out for real. Their objectives got clarified, alongside some preliminary safety measures. There was nothing too specific yet, given just how much energy the act of deciding to do it took, but they got a head start, overall.

They figured they’d have to wait a few weeks no matter what, so the current date was set sometime towards the ends of the month, mid-February at the absolute latest. 

Still, they wound down after a while, strategy-talk replaced by a general discussion of the holidays and year to come, and by the end of the night, they were avoiding the HEBS topic.

Miles left at around 7:35, explaining Jett was probably gonna show up at his place sometime tonight to drag him to some fast food place. This would have been fine if he hadn't given Felix a quick hug as he’d left, effectively short-circuiting him.

Again, Flex’s laughter was for his ears alone. 

Brenna got up not too long after that, wanting to sneak home before her absence was noticed. And, well, Felix had questions about that, and Miles was already gone, so he followed her to the doorway and, in a whispered tone, asked how everything was going at home.

She paused in pulling her coat on to consider her answer. “I… it’s fine.”

Felix shifted on his feet, weighing his next words. “It’s just that they… I met your mom. Sorta.”

“Yeah, um…” Brenna blinked hard. “She… mentioned… you guys. Sorry about her.”

“You don’t have to apologize, that’s not what I--” Felix took a breath. “I just wanted to ask if you were okay. I don’t know a lot about your parents but… I’m sorry I made you stay back--”

“No, you were right,” she protested. “I wouldn’t have been able to--”

“I didn’t keep my cool either,” Felix admitted. “Identity concerns… that’s still valid. But I wasn’t Mr. Cool, there. I almost fucked up bad.”

Brenna shook her head slightly, pulling her coat all the way on. “Even so, I’m glad I stayed behind, too. Miles' wounds could’ve been a lot worse if I’d gone. It worked out in the end.”

“Right,” Felix exhaled, the sentiment making more sense to him than he wanted it to. “Yeah… You’re gonna be okay, though, right?”

Brenna smiled, small and sly. “Worried?”

“Always,” Felix grinned. “Call me if you ever need to escape for a bit. Vigilanting or not.”

She rolled her eyes. “Deal. Now, can I leave before it starts raining?”

“It’s gonna rain?”

“Doesn’t it always?”

She left with a wave, closing the door firmly behind her.

Felix… didn’t head back to Candor and Cara, right away. Something was sinking in.

It wasn’t superfluous, like feelings he could process later. It was an anxiety, demanding to be dealt with immediately, clawing its way up through his veins, leaving ice in its trail.

Lee never showed up.

Four hours and Lee never showed up. Hadn’t even texted again.

That… that was fine. He probably still felt shitty. Felix could head down to his dorm tomorrow to give him the rundown of the plan. Or, better yet, he could call him right now, explain pronto.

… or he could head up to Havenden now.

It wasn’t even a question.

He yelled a quick explanation to Candor and Cara before searching his room for a coat, proper winter shoes -- ‘cause holy _fuck_ it was cold out -- and took off for the nearest bus stop before he could even think to grab Flex.

For the first stretch of the ride, he worked on some breathing exercises, calming down his growing anxiety and focusing on how best to summarize the whole meeting. Ten minutes into the ride, he’d all but memorized his planned explanation.

Which left the rest of the ride for the anxiety to build back up. Great.

Late didn’t mean asleep, in most big cities, but Newcoast City had been quieter than usual since the giant police roundup -- if the news was anything to go by. Word of the vigilantes’ involvement in that hadn’t even made its way to the mainstream yet. 

Even Brody hadn’t said a word about the whole situation. Score 100 for Deathwish’s ability to influence the goings-on of the city, huh?

The bus passed by the stop he usually got off at for _Popchester’s_. 

It had started raining.

The anxiety was getting louder.

Remembering what Brody had said about giving warning the other day -- even if jokingly -- Felix decided it was probably a good idea to tell Lee he was stopping by. He probably should’ve at least texted before he left but hey, now Lee would feel too guilty to turn Felix away, given he was already en route.

… okay, manipulative thought. Nix that. Still, he sent a text.

Five minutes passed with no reply.

The rain was coming down heavy, now, pounding against the bus in sync with Felix’s heart.

He decided it’d be a good idea to straight-up call the warlock. Maybe he really was super busy and couldn’t check his phone every few minutes. That was fine.

It went to voicemail 6 times.

When Felix spotted buildings that were decidedly “college-town”, he threw all caution to the wind, gave into his anxiety, and spread out his senses on the next call.

Phone lines were… weird. But that didn’t matter. 

What _mattered_ was that Lee… wasn’t in his dorm. He wasn’t even on campus.

He was a few blocks away.

The call went to voicemail again. Felix didn’t bother calling a seventh time.

Something was wrong. Something was clearly, dreadfully, exponentially wrong.

He got off at the next bus stop, knowing he could run faster at this rate.

His feet slid against the wet pavement and his coat hardly repelled the rain. It didn't matter.

The few pedestrians he passed by were astoundingly easy to bump into, yelling at him as he careened past. It didn’t matter.

His shoulder ached, a phantom flame reignited in it. It didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered because the closer he got to where he knew Lee’s phone was, the clearer it became that it was an alleyway. It was a void between massive blocks of noise and warmth, Lee’s phone becoming a beacon in the electrical darkness.

And it wasn’t moving.

Felix reached the alleyway entrance, panting for breath even as he called out Lee’s name, squinting through the darkness for even a glimpse of his friend.

Risking his phone, he took it out to call once more, running towards the ringtone the moment it started up, shining the dim light from his screen around wildly in his search.

For a moment, he was convinced Lee had just dropped his phone on his way to the bus stop. That his friend was probably well on his way to Felix’s house right this moment, maybe even there already, warm and safe and confused as to where Felix could possibly be.

The thought only lasted until he saw a pair of shoes peeking from around a dumpster.

“Lee?” He called out, almost dropping his own phone as he jogged up to the pair of legs. The dim light confirmed his fears.

He dropped to his knees in front of his friend, passed out against an alleyway wall.

“Lee, hey, are you okay?” He asked, reaching his good arm out to shake Lee’s shoulder.

No response.

“Lee, come on, wake up!”

Shit, it was _cold_. And now it was raining, making everything worse. 

How long had Lee _been_ out here? And how cold did you have to be to get hypothermia?

“Shit…” Felix breathed out, dropped his phone as he went to shrug off his own coat. “Lee, come on, you gotta wake up. Don’t make me take you to the hospital. I _will_ , so wake _up_.”

But when his hand touched his coat it… didn’t feel right.

Slowly, breath catching in his throat, he groped around for his phone, careful as he lifted it up with his bad arm to shine the light directly on Lee.

He was soaked, hair flattened and clothes darkened by the rain. He still wasn’t waking up, even with Felix calling for him and with light shining right in his face.

His face… 

The cold had clearly gotten to him. He was paler than normal, the dark circles under his eyes more intense and expression alien without any hints of joy.

Felix had seen unconscious people before. This… This wasn’t it.

But nothing else was wrong! It was-- It had to be the cold. Now that he was looking properly, Lee’s jacket wasn’t even zipped up. The thin red shirt he was wearing underneath was nowhere _near_ warm enough, what was he thin--

No.

Felix _knew_ that shirt, looking closer. It was one of Lee’s favorite shirts, patterned with small bats over the torso, sleeves long and black.

But the base color was white. 

Not red.

Felix slowly turned his light to his own hand, awkwardly hovering over his coat buttons.

Mostly washed away by the rain but still staining his coat -- the same dark red.

Lee was-- he was wearing a scarf. It was black, completely hiding his throat.

Felix’s eyes drifted downward toward Lee’s wrists. The same red pooled into his jacket and onto the ground beneath them, splashing up with every drop of rain, sinking into Felix’s jeans.

He was frozen. 

Lee’s eyes were-- they were still open. Just barely, empty as the void and cold as the night.

Felix was so fucking _cold._

This wasn’t a nightmare, he knew. He didn’t remember his nightmares, just woke up terrified. And it wasn’t a prank -- Lee would never be so needlessly cruel.

But it couldn’t be-- How could it be reality?

Even so, denial icing over his mind, he knew what this was. He knew he didn’t really believe in any God. He didn’t believe in heaven or in hell or in any sort of an afterlife. He was a man of science, after all. He had to test it to believe it.

What _did_ Felix believe in? 

He believed in people, and the kindness they could show. He believed in life and in his friends, in his love for coffee and books and cat videos and everything that could never fail him. These days, he quite often believed in Lee Haverhill.

And he believed in death.

And he _wanted to_ deny, he really did, but he couldn’t help but believe his eyes. He couldn’t deny the sticky blood on his trembling fingertips, pressing up against his friend's throat, checking for any sign of a pulse. He couldn’t deny the emptiness in Lee’s eyes.

He… he didn’t know when he started screaming for help, cold and terrified of the silence. There was no way to know when someone had finally come to check on the noise or who that person even was. He was too busy shaking Lee’s shoulders, begging for it to not be true.

He didn’t know who called 911. It might’ve been him. He didn’t remember. He was too busy staring at Lee’s face, desperately searching for even a flicker of life.

It didn’t matter. Lee never woke up.

Felix vaguely noticed police arriving, only by metric of them pulling him away. 

Mostly, he remembered protesting, he remembered screaming “He’s my friend!” again and again until the world faded away once more, the fight leaving his body all at once.

Eventually, he became aware of the ambulance he was sitting in, legs dangling down over the street, jeans still soaked with red. He answered the questions he was asked, though he couldn’t remember what they were or who was asking them, his head far too dizzy to care.

He couldn’t _think_.

The clearest question was about his parents. He rattled off Chester’s phone number.

Lee was dead.

He wished Flex was here. He wished _anyone_ was here. He didn’t know what to do.

Police were in the alley and a shock blanket was around his shoulders when it hit him.

Felix stumbled to his feet, slinking past the EMTs and finding the nearest police officer.

“What… what are they saying?” He asked, drawing the officer’s attention. 

“Ah, kid, you really should just wait for your--”

“What are they saying?” Felix demanded again.

The cop crouched down a little. Felix didn’t have it in him to care. “Okay, your friend… Lee?” Felix nodded. “They’re saying it looks like a suicide. A physician is on the way to confirm it.”

But that wasn’t--

“That’s-- That’s wrong,” Felix stuttered out around his frigid tongue. 

  
“I know these things can be hard to process--” The officer started off, but he didn’t understand.

“No!” Felix denied, temper rising. “No, you’re-- He couldn’t have-- He was on his way over to my place, he wouldn’t have…”

The words weren’t there. Lee was dead and the words weren’t there.

He… he couldn’t say he knew Lee would never-- Because their life was insane and Felix felt crushed by fear every single day. He knew all his friends were hurting.

But Lee wasn’t a liar. He said he’d be over later. If this was planned, he wouldn’t have promised that. So this wasn’t planned and--

“His earrings,” Felix choked out, rounding all his attention on the cop again. “I-- I didn’t notice. His earrings-- is he wearing his earrings?”

The cop only looked confused. “Ah, kid, I’m sorry, I don’t-- hey!”

Felix took off back towards the alley, pushing past anyone who tried to stop him.

They were taking photos of Lee’s body… it didn’t matter.

What mattered was, fighting his way through the police and staring at his friend, he confirmed his worst fears.

Lee wasn’t wearing his earrings. 

His magical earrings. 

Felix had never seen Lee without them, even in casual meet-ups. They hadn’t come off once the entire time Lee crashed on his couch.

They didn’t look expensive. Nobody would even know to take them.

Except for the bastards that had sent Lee out into the world with them.

He froze stiff at the realization, long enough to be manhandled back to the ambulance in wait for his “parents” to arrive. But it didn’t matter.

Because Felix believed in a lot of things, truth be told.

And he believed Lee was dead.

But he _knew,_ without a shadow of a doubt -- belief be damned -- who was behind it.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The next morning, after a long night spent in and out of police questioning, Felix -- exhausted and raw -- sent a text to the only people in the world who still had to be notified.

**To: Brenna, Miles**

**[Me: Lee’s dead. Slit throat and wrists. Police think it was a suicide. It wasn’t.]**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...  
> *clears throat*  
> sorry?
> 
> To be continued in Book Two: 「TORRENT」  
> see ya then ;)


End file.
